Characterization of horizontal flows around solar pores from high-resolution time series of images

¹ Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury, St Mary, Dorking, RH5 6NT, UK e-mail: svd@mssl.ucl.ac.uk
² Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, 38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

Received: 8 September 2009
Accepted: 8 March 2010

Abstract

Context. Though there is increasing evidence linking the moat flow and the Evershed flow along the penumbral filaments, there is not a clear consensus regarding the existence of a moat flow around umbral cores and pores, and the debate is still open. Solar pores appear to be a suitable scenario to test the moat-penumbra relation as they correspond to a direct interaction between the umbra and the convective plasma in the surrounding photosphere without any intermediate structure in between.

Aims. We study solar pores based on high-resolution ground-based and satellite observations.

Methods. Local correlation tracking techniques were applied to different-duration time series to analyze the horizontal flows around several solar pores.

Results. Our results establish that the flows calculated from different solar pore observations are coherent among each other and show the determining and overall influence of exploding events in the granulation around the pores. We do not find any sign of moat-like flows surrounding solar pores, but a clearly defined region of inflows surrounding them.

Conclusions. The connection between moat flows and flows associated to penumbral filaments is hereby reinforced.