Tracing the evolution of radiation-MHD simulations of solar and stellar atmospheres in the Lagrangian frame⋆
Institute for Solar Physics, Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Centre, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
e-mail: jorrit.leenaarts@astro.su.se
Received:
6
April
2018
Accepted:
17
May
2018
Context. Radiation magnetohydrodynamics (radiation-MHD) simulations have become a standard tool for investigating the physics of solar and stellar atmospheres.
Aims. The aim of this paper is to present a method that allows the efficient and accurate analysis of flows in such simulations in the Lagrangian frame.
Methods. This paper presents a method that allows the construction of pathlines given a seed point that can be chosen freely at any location and at any time during the simulation where the simulation state is stored. The method is based on passive tracer particles. Through injection of particles in expanding regions the occurrence of particle-free volumes is avoided, even in the case of strongly compressive flows.
Results. The method was implemented in the solar and stellar atmosphere simulation code Bifrost. It is efficient and accurate. As examples I present an analysis of a gas parcel in the convection zone and a particle in the solar transition region.
Key words: Sun: atmosphere / methods: numerical
The movie associated to Fig. 2 is available at http://www.aanda.org
© ESO 2018