A Numerical Simulation of Two-dimensional Radiative Equilibrium in Magnetostatic Flux Tubes. II. Computational Results
Abstract
We apply a recently developed numerical procedure for obtaining self-consistent radiative and mechanical equilibria of solar magnetostatic flux tubes. The tubes are modeled as localized but continuous field concentrations in a 2D slab geometry, and the radiation is treated in the LTE limit. The reduced opacities in the tube lead to the lateral intrusion of radiative flux into the tube, with subsequent modification of the internal atmosphere. Our calculations show that the effect is negligible, however, when the diameter of the tube exceeds the scale height of the atmosphere in the surface layers or if convective energy transport in the tube is itself sufficient to produce a thermal stratification close to that in the surrounding photosphere. That is, 2D radiative effects are likely to be important only in small tubes in which the upward convective energy flux is strongly suppressed. The treatment of the underlying convective layers appears to be of paramount importance in determining the computed surface properties.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- August 1993
- DOI:
- 10.1086/173044
- Bibcode:
- 1993ApJ...413..764P
- Keywords:
-
- Magnetic Field Configurations;
- Magnetic Flux;
- Magnetohydrodynamics;
- Solar Convection (Astronomy);
- Solar Magnetic Field;
- Boundary Conditions;
- Iteration;
- Radiative Transfer;
- Stellar Models;
- Solar Physics;
- MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS: MHD;
- RADIATIVE TRANSFER;
- SUN: ATMOSPHERE