Wave modes excited by photospheric p-modes and mode conversion in a multi-loop system^⋆

Centre for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics (CmPA), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B bus 2400, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
e-mail: juliamaria.riedl@kuleuven.be

Received: 4 March 2019
Accepted: 22 April 2019

Abstract

Context. Waves are ubiquitous in the solar corona and there are indications that they are excited by photospheric p-modes. However, it is unclear how p-modes in coronal loops are converted to sausage modes and transverse (kink) modes, which are observed in the corona.

Aims. We aim to investigate how those wave modes are excited in the lower corona by photospheric acoustic waves.

Methods. We built 3D magnetohydrostatic loop systems with multiple inclinations spanning from the photosphere to the lower corona. We then simulated these atmospheres with the MANCHA code, in which we perturb the equilibrium with a p-mode driver at the bottom of the domain. By splitting the velocity perturbation into components longitudinal, normal, and azimuthal to the magnetic flux surfaces we can study wave behavior.

Results. In vertical flux tubes, we find that deformed fast sausage surface waves and slow sausage body waves are excited. In inclined flux tubes fast kink surface waves, slow sausage body waves, and either a fast sausage surface wave or a plane wave are excited. In addition, we calculate a wave conversion factor (0 ≤ C ≤ 1) from acoustic to magnetic wave behavior by taking the ratio of the mean magnetic energy flux to the sum of the mean magnetic and acoustic energy flux and compare it to a commonly used theoretical conversion factor. We find that between magnetic field inclinations of 10° to 30° those two methods lie within 40%. For smaller inclinations the absolute deviation is smaller than 0.1.