16866447
Interpreting Helioseismic Structure Inversion Results of Solar Active Regions
Helioseismic techniques such as ring-diagram analysis have often been used to determine the subsurface structural differences between solar active and quiet regions. Results obtained by inverting the frequency differences between the regions are usually interpreted as the sound-speed differences between them. These in turn are used as a measure of temperature and magnetic-field strength differences between the two regions. In this paper we first show that the “sound-speed” difference obtained from inversions is actually a combination of sound-speed difference and a magnetic component. Hence, the inversion result is not directly related to the thermal structure. Next, using solar models that include magnetic fields, we develop a formulation to use the inversion results to infer the differences in the magnetic and thermal structures between active and quiet regions. We then apply our technique to existing structure inversion results for different pairs of active and quiet regions. We find that the effect of magnetic fields is strongest in a shallow region above 0.985R⊙ and that the strengths of magnetic-field effects at the surface and in the deeper (r<0.98R⊙) layers are inversely related (i.e., the stronger the surface magnetic field the smaller the magnetic effects in the deeper layers, and vice versa). We also find that the magnetic effects in the deeper layers are the strongest in the quiet regions, consistent with the fact that these are basically regions with weakest magnetic fields at the surface. Because the quiet regions were selected to precede or follow their companion active regions, the results could have implications about the evolution of magnetic fields under active regions.
117219942
Calculation of Solar P-mode Oscillation Frequency Splittings Based on a Two-dimensional Solar Model
We compute the p-mode oscillation frequencies and frequency splittings that arise in a two-dimensional model of the Sun that contains toroidal magnetic fields in its interior.
14227222
Two-Dimensional Stellar Evolution Code Including Arbitrary Magnetic Fields. II. Precision Improvement and Inclusion of Turbulence and Rotation
In the second paper of this series we pursue two objectives. First, in order to make the code more sensitive to small effects, we remove many approximations made in Paper I. Second, we include turbulence and rotation in the two-dimensional framework. The stellar equilibrium is described by means of a set of five differential equations, with the introduction of a new dependent variable, namely the perturbation to the radial gravity, that is found when the nonradial effects are considered in the solution of the Poisson equation. Following the scheme of the first paper, we write the equations in such a way that the two-dimensional effects can be easily disentangled. The key concept introduced in this series is the equipotential surface. We use the underlying cause-effect relation to develop a recurrence relation to calculate the equipotential surface functions for uniform rotation, differential rotation, rotation-like toroidal magnetic fields, and turbulence. We also develop a more precise code to numerically solve the two-dimensional stellar structure and evolution equations based on the equipotential surface calculations. We have shown that with this formulation we can achieve the precision required by observations by appropriately selecting the convergence criterion. Several examples are presented to show that the method works well. Since we are interested in modeling the effects of a dynamo-type field on the detailed envelope structure and global properties of the Sun, the code has been optimized for short timescales phenomena (down to 1 yr). The time dependence of the code has so far been tested exclusively to address such problems.
118681206
Solar Models with Revised Abundance
We present new solar models in which we use the latest low abundances and further include the effects of rotation, magnetic fields, and extra-mixing processes. We assume that the extra-element mixing can be treated as a diffusion process, with the diffusion coefficient depending mainly on the solar internal configuration of rotation and magnetic fields. We find that such models can well reproduce the observed solar rotation profile in the radiative region. Furthermore, the proposed models can match the seismic constraints better than the standard solar models, also when these include the latest abundances, but neglect the effects of rotation and magnetic fields.
5616752
A flux tube solar dynamo model based on the competing role of buoyancy and downflows
A magnetic flux tube can be considered both as a separate body and as a confined field. As a field, it is affected by both differential rotation (Ω-effect) and cyclonic convection (α-effect). As a body, the tube experiences not only a buoyant force, but also a dynamic pressure due to downflows above the tube. These two competing dynamic effects are incorporated into the α-Ω dynamo equations through the total magnetic turbulent diffusivity, leading to a flux tube dynamo operating in the convection zone. We analyze and solve the extended dynamo equations in the linear approximation by adopting the observed solar internal rotation and assuming a downflow effect derived from numerical simulations of a solar convection zone. The model reproduces the 22 yr cycle period; the extended butterfly diagram with the confinement of strong activity to low heliographic latitudes |Φ| ≤ 35°; the evidence that at low latitudes the radial field is in an approximately π phase lag compared to the toroidal field at the same latitude; the evidence that the poleward branch is in a π/2 phase lag with respect to the equatorward branch; and the evidence that most of the magnetic flux is present in an intermittent form, concentrated into strong flux tubes.
10120589
The nonhomologous nature of solar diameter variations
We show in this Letter that the changes of the solar diameter in response to variations of large-scale magnetic fields and turbulence are not homologous. For the best current model, the variation at the photospheric level is over 1000 times larger than the variation at a depth of 5 Mm, which is about the level at which f-mode solar oscillations determine diameter variations. This model is supported by observations that indicate larger diameter changes for high-degree f-modes than for low-degree f-modes, since the energy of the former is concentrated at shallower layers than the latter.
36299978
Jet Collimation by Small-Scale Magnetic Fields
A popular model for jet collimation is associated with the presence of a large-scale and predominantly toroidal magnetic field originating from the central engine (a star, a black hole, or an accretion disk). Besides the problem of how such a large-scale magnetic field is generated, in this model the jet suffers from the fatal long-wave mode kink magnetohydrodynamic instability. In this paper we explore an alternative model: jet collimation by small-scale magnetic fields. These magnetic fields are assumed to be local, chaotic, and tangled, but are dominated by toroidal components. Just as in the case of a large-scale toroidal magnetic field, we show that the "hoop stress" of the tangled toroidal magnetic fields exerts an inward force which confines and collimates the jet. The magnetic "hoop stress" is balanced either by the gas pressure of the jet or by centrifugal force if the jet is spinning. Since the length scale of the magnetic field is small (< the cross-sectional radius of the jet the length of the jet), in this model the jet does not suffer from the long-wave mode kink instability. Many other problems associated with the large-scale magnetic field are also eliminated or alleviated for small-scale magnetic fields. Though it remains an open question how to generate and maintain the required small-scale magnetic fields in a jet, the scenario of jet collimation by small-scale magnetic fields is favored by the current study on disk dynamo which indicates that small-scale magnetic fields are much easier to generate than large-scale magnetic fields.
119180645
Binary interactions and UV photometry on photometric redshift
Using the Hyperz code (Bolzonella et al . 2000) we present photometric redshift estimates for a random sample of galaxies selected from the SDSS/DR7 and GALEX/DR4, for which spectroscopic redshifts are also available. We confirm that the inclusion of ultraviolet photometry improves the accuracy of photo- z s for those galaxies with g * – r * ≤ 0.7 and z spec ≤ 0.2. We also address the problem of how binary interactions can affect photo- z estimates, and find that their effect is negligible.
118472204
Binary Stellar Population Synthesis Model
Using Yunnan evolutionary population synthesis (EPS) models, we present integrated colours, integrated spectral energy distributions (ISEDs) and absorption-line indices defined by the Lick Observatory image dissector scanner (Lick/IDS) system, for an extensive set of instantaneous-burst binary stellar populations (BSPs) with interactions. By comparing the results for populations with and without interactions we show that the inclusion of binary interactions makes the appearance of the population substantially bluer. This effect raises the derived age and metallicity of the population. To be used in the studies of modern spectroscopic galaxy surveys at intermediate/high spectral resolution, we also present intermediate- (3A) and high-resolution (~0.3A) ISEDs and Lick/IDS absorption-line indices for BSPs. To directly compare with observations the Lick/IDS absorption indices are also presented by measuring them directly from the ISEDs.
18010272
Accretion Disk Torqued by a Black Hole
If a Kerr black hole is connected to a disk rotating around it by a magnetic field, the rotational energy of the Kerr black hole provides an energy source for the radiation of the disk in addition to disk accretion. The black hole exerts a torque on the disk, which transfers energy and angular momentum between the black hole and the disk. If the black hole rotates faster than the disk, energy and angular momentum are extracted from the black hole and transferred to the disk. The energy deposited into the disk is eventually radiated away by the disk, which will increase the efficiency of the disk. If the black hole rotates slower than the disk, energy and angular momentum are transferred from the disk to the black hole, which will lower the efficiency of the disk. With suitable boundary conditions, quasi-steady state solutions are obtained for a thin Keplerian disk magnetically coupled to a Kerr black hole. By quasi-steady state we mean that any macroscopic quantity at a given radius in the disk slowly changes with time: the integrated change within one rotation period of the disk is much smaller than the quantity itself. We find that the torque produced by magnetic coupling propagates outward only in the disk, and the total radiation flux of the disk is a superposition of the radiation flux produced by magnetic coupling and that produced by accretion. Interestingly, a disk magnetically coupled to a rapidly rotating black hole can radiate without accretion: the total power of the disk comes from the rotational energy of the black hole. With a simple example that the magnetic field touches the disk at a single radius, we show that the radial radiation profile produced by magnetic coupling can be very different from that of a standard accretion disk: the emissivity index is significantly larger, and most radiation can come from a region that is closer to the center of the disk. While the shape of the radiation flux curve sensitively depends on the extension of the magnetic field in the disk, the spectral signature of magnetic coupling can be robust. The limitations of our model are briefly discussed, which include the assumption of a weak magnetic field, the ignorance of the instabilities of the disk and the magnetic field, and the ignorance of the radiation captured by the black hole and the radiation returning to the disk.
15336878
Hot subdwarfs from the stable Roche lobe overflow channel
Context. Hot subdwarfs are core-helium-burning stars with extremely thin envelopes. We discuss the formation and evolution of hot subdwarfs formed through the stable Roche lobe overflow (RLOF) channel of intermediate-mass binaries, although their formation channels are various. Aims. In this study, we concentrate on the formation and evolution of hot subdwarfs binaries through the stable RLOF channel of intermediate-mass binaries. We aim at setting out the properties of hot subdwarfs and their progenitors, so that we can understand the formation and evolution of hot subdwarfs. Methods. Employing Eggleton's stellar evolution code, we have computed conservative and nonconservative population I binary evolution sequences. The initial mass of the primary ranges from 2.2 to 6.3 M(circle dot), spaced by approximately 0.1 in log M, the initial mass ratio q(i) = M(1)/M(2) is between 1.1 and 4.5, and the Roche lobe overflow begins at the main sequence, the Hertzsprung gap and the first giant branch. In nonconservative binary evolution, we assume that 50 percent of the mass lost from the primary leaves the system, carrying away the specific angular momentum of the primary, and the remaining mass is accreted on to the secondary during the RLOF. Also, we have studied the distributions of the mass and orbital periods of hot subdwarfs using the population synthesis approach. Results. We have obtained the ranges of the initial parameters of progenitor binaries and the properties of hot subdwarfs through the stable RLOF channel of intermediate-mass binaries, e. g. mass, envelope mass and age of hot subdwarfs. We have found that hot subdwarfs could be formed through stable Roche lobe overflow at the main sequence and Hertzsprung gap. We have also found that some subdwarf B or OB stars have anomalously high mass (similar to 1 M(circle dot)) with a thick envelope (similar to 0.07 M(circle dot)-similar to 0.16) in our models. By comparing our theoretical results with observations on the hot subdwarfs in open clusters, we suggest that more hot subdwarfs in binary systems might be found in open clusters in the future.