NATO Advanced Research Workshop

3-dimensional Evolution of a Magnetic Flux Tube Emerging into the Solar Atmosphere T. Magara
(Montana State University, USA)
September 17, 2002 (Budapest, Hungary)

We focus on three solar regions. Each region has a different type of background gas layers with which magnetic field interacts.

The corona (over the photosphere) ... low-density background gas layers The photosphere ... abrupt change of background gas layers The convection zone ... high-density background gas layers

Corona :
Because the background gas pressure is weaker than magnetic pressure, the magnetic field continues to expand outward. (magnetic-field dominant region) A well-developed magnetic structure is formed. This structure is macroscopically static (force-free), however outermost area... dynamic (solar wind) prominence area... mass motion along B coronal loops... mass motion along B

Sometimes explosive events (relaxation of magnetic energy) happen in such a well-developed structure. These events are flares (produce high energy particles & electromagnetic waves) prominence eruptions (cool material erupts and disappears) coronal mass ejections (large amount of mass is ejected into IP)

To study various coronal processes, we initially assume a skeleton of magnetic field which provides a model of well-developed coronal structure. Then we investigate its stability and evolution at both linear and nonlinear phases.
Input stage: impose various type of perturbations to the system according to the primary purpose of studies perturbation Initial stage: set a skeleton of magnetic field in the atmosphere (eg. potential, force-free, or any magnetohydrostatic states)

relaxation state: To see the thermal and dynamical evolutions at the linear and nonlinear phases

magnetic reconnection

Convection zone:
Gas dominant region > amplification of magnetic field by plasma motion

Galloway and Weiss (1981) The convection zone is devided into two regions: flux tube region & field-free region The dynamics of magnetic field in the convection zone is described by ... thin flux tube model (Defouw 1976; Roberts & Webb 1978; Parker 1979; Spruit 1981) Various works based on thin flux tube model have provided an important knowledge of Storage of magnetic field at the base of the convection zone(Choudhuri & Gilman 1987; D'Silva & Stability of intense flux tube in the convection zone
Chouduri 1993; Fan et al. 1993; Howard 1991; Caligari et al. 1995; Fisher et al. 1995)

Nonlinear interacting process of rising flux tube with convective plasma Macroscopic observable properties of sunspots, such as latitude, tilt angle, and east-west asymmetry

Ferriz-Mas (1996) stability analysis of flux tube Caligari, Moreno-Insertis, & Schssler (1995) simulation of rising flux tube

Fan, Fisher, & McClymont (1994) tile angle of emerging bipolar

There are other studies focusing on the internal structure of the buoyant flux tube interacting with surrounding convective plasma.

Longcope, Fisher, & Arendt (1996) Emonet & Moreno-Insertis (1998)

A rising flux tube cannot maintain its integrity unless the internal magnetic field is sufficiently twisted (2-dimensional MHD simulation).

3-dimensional MHD simulation

Dorch & Nordlund (1998) Abbett, Fisher, & Fan (2000) ... in 3-dimensional situation, the amount of twist needed to prevent the disruption of rising flux tube is substantially reduced.
Abbett, Fisher, & Fan (2000)

Dorch & Nordlund (1998)

Photosphere:
Intermediate region between solar interior and exterior: dynamical aspect high gas pressure region > low pressure region the emergence of magnetic field is a very dynamical process thermal structure optically thick regime > optically thin regime the treatment of radiation is very complicated

Magara (2001) imulation of emerging flux tube

Stein & Nordlund (1998) simulation of solar granulation

Emergence of magnetic field lines (Color map: normal component of magnetic field on the surface)

Physical processes of flux tube emergence (Magara 2001)

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Phase I: rising in a highly dense material (subphotpshre)

In this simulation, the flux tube almost keeps a circular cross section. > analyzing the dynamics by using the model of a rigid cylinder rising in a gravitationally stratified layer

d 2z = M m g M + mi i dt2 M mi vz d z = g t = 4.0910 3 t M + mi dt

Phase II: flattening & Rayleigh-Taylor instability

convective stable layer convective unstable layer Upper part of rising flux tube enters convective stable ayer and stops rising, although lower part is still rising. the flux tube becomes flattened!

> C

The upper part of flux tube is subject to the Rayleigh-Taylo instability. The dispersion relation is given by
2 = g k x + B x2 0 0 0 + k2 x + + 4 + + 0 0 0 0

@
i= C2 g A 2 4 2 2 0 + 1 for > C 4 C2 A g

where

p+ 0 C2 A

p 0

B x2 8 p k + 0 , 0 20 , x , 8 2 B0 x

p p+ 0 0 = + 0 0

Phase III: Parker instability (nonlinear phase)

Self-similar analysis of the nonlinear phase of Parker instability (Shibata et al. 1990) z VZ VS

d vs d 2 s = 2 g s R dt dt
matter drains along the tube according to the gravitational force.

s exp t vs = s exp t x = g/R

curvature radius: R

vz z

z 4

Bx z 1

In some cases, emerging flux tube cannot expand into the atmosphere...

= C

> C

is increasing with time

Flattening proceeds and the R-T unstable condition is satisfied, however the flux tube does not enter the Parker instability phase (phase III).

The reason of no expansion is that the magnetic pressure of flux tube is weaker than surrounding gas pressure.
z

expansion case

no expansion case

Emerging magnetic fields do not always expand to form a well-developed coronal structure. If they are magnetically strong, they can expand, otherwise the emerging fields could be easily controlled by strong photospheri motions so that they show an intermittent behavior in the photosphere.

Recent development of the study of flux emergence 3-dimensional MHD simulation is now available
2-dimensional case

2-dimensional case The plasma contained inside the flux tube does not drain. The axis of flux tube hardly emerges into the atmosphere.

3-dimensional case The plasma contained inside the flux tube does drain. The flux tube becomes light, which enables the tube axis to emerge into the atmosphere.

Matsumoto et al. (1998)... well-developed kink state of twisted flux tube might produce a series of sigmoidal coronal structures.

Fan (2001)

The axis of flux tube can emerge into the atmosphere.

the magnetic field and velocity field resulted from the emergence of twisted flux tube are consistent with observational results.

Magara & Longcope (2001)... the emergence of twisted magnetic flux tube naturally forms a sigmoidal structure in the atmosphere

Distribution of vertical forces ( Pg, Pm, T m, g ) along the outer and inner field lines time = 26

Velocity field on the outer and inner field lines

Field-aligned velocity field (simple analytical model) Y g

vs 2b field line a Basic equation:

vs

vs = g Y, s s

d ln = vs dt s

vs s =
a

2 g 2 b Y s sgn s

X = a + sin Y = b 1 + cos

for
: strong density reduction area

Strong density reduction occurs in the middle of highly convex field line at both sides of weakly convex field line

Expanding field lines and undulating field lines

aspect ratio

h>d h d
aspect ratio

expanding field line

neutral line

h<d

undulating field line

neutral line

How are emerging magnetic fields vertically stratified?

force-free

z
gas dominant intermediate (gas dominant > magnetic dominant)

photosphere

Injection of magnetic energy and helicity into the atmosphere

@ Magnetic energy: E M t =
z0

B t dV 8

@ Magnetic helicity: H M t =

z0

A t B t dV

We use the concept of the relative helicity (Berger & Field 1984; Finn & Antonsen 1985; DeVore 2000)
A x, y, z, t = A C x, y, 0, t z
z

B x, y, z , t d z ...

vector potential for B

A C x, y, z, t = z
C x, y, z, t = 1 2

C x, y, z , t d z ...
B z x , y , 0, t x
2 x

vector potential for the potential field

d x d y ... scalar potential for the potential field

+ y

2 y

1/2

+ z2

z=0

@ Magnetic energy flux in the photosphere:

FM z =
z=0

1 B x vx + B y vy B z d x d y + 4

shear term

z=0

1 B2 + B2 v d x d y y z 4 x

emergence term

@ Magnetic helicity flux in the photosphere:

FH z =
z=0

2 A x vx + A y vy B z d x d y +

shear term

z=0

2 A x B x + A y B y vz d x d y

emergence term

Time variation of magnetic energy, helicity, energy flux, and helicity flux
210 26 erg / s

510 27 erg

( 35 s)

( 35 s)

210 35 erg cm

510 33 erg cm / s

( 35 s)

( 35 s)

At the early phase, the emergence plays a dominant role in injecting energy and helicity. At the late phase, both terms become small, however the shear term is still significant.

Velocity field around magnetic polarity region

Rotational flow

time = 40

time = 28

A rotational flow appears around peak flux area at the late phase (t = 28, 40). This flow twists vertical magnetic field to inject energy and helicity

So far, the flux emergence simulation only covers the initial phase of emergence. A lot of important physical processes remain unclear, such as long-term evolution toward the formation of active regions interaction between emerging flux tubes and preexisting coronal fields heating, radiative cooling, thermal conduction (non-adiabatic evolution of thermal structure)

Simulated magnetic region: time scale... 20 min. length scale... 3000 km (footpoint polarity region) 10,000 km (loop length)

Active region: time scale... days length scale... 50,000 km (sunspot) 100,000 km (loop length)

Interaction between emerging magnetic field and preexisting field

Simple dipole structure magnetic reconnection (3-dimensional) topological change of field mapping rapid energy release, eruptions Emerging field

A model of energy relaxation magnetic fluxes are transferred from one flux domain to another through reconnection process, which enables the release of magnetic energy. Antiochos (1998) Longcope & Kankelborg (2001)

Progress expected in the future study To recognize when and where current sheets are formed (in 3-dimensional situation), > use adaptive mesh technique

Courtesy of W. Abbett

To follow the thermodynamical evolution, > use dissipative energy equation (including thermal conduction, radiative cooling, heating process)

Yokoyama & Shibata (1997)