Start year
1999
Organizational Unit
Organizing institutions
General
Description
Magnetic fields are at the base of star formation and stellar structure and evolution. When stars are born, magnetic fields brake the rotation during the collapse of the mollecular cloud. In the end of the life of a star, magnetic fields can play a key role in the form of the strong winds that lead to the last stages of stellar evolution. During the whole adult life of a star, magnetic fields are the origin of stellar activity. Our Sun has magnetic fields that give rise to such spectacular activity that impacts the climate on Earth. The magnetic activity in other stars is, in some cases, of orders of magnitude more intense than the solar one, influencing – often drastically – the transport of chemical species and angular momentum, as well as affecting the possible planetary systems around them.
The aim of this project is the study of the diverse manifestations of the magnetic field that can be observed in the solar atmosphere and in other stars. These include distinct structures as sunspots, weak quiet-sun fields or chromospheric and coronal features such as filaments and prominences. The following research topics have been gradually faced:
Solar magnetism
1. Structure and evolution of Sunspot magnetic fields.
2. Structure and evolution of quiet Sun magnetic fields.
3. Structure and evolution of the magnetism of the chromosphere and of chromospheric strcutures (promiences, spicules,...)
4. Structure and evolution or coronal loops.
5. Structure and evolution of the Sun's global field. Studies of the activity cycle.
6. Empirical study of propagation of magnetohydrodynamic waves in magnetic structures.
7. Empirical study of energy transfer mechanisms related with the heating of the external atmospheric layers.
8. Empirical study of the influence of partial ionisation in the dynamics of the solar atmosphere.
9. Participation in the European Solar Telescope project.
Stellar magnetism
1. Development of numerical tools to diagnose stellar magnetic fields, both in the surface and in the chromsphere.
2. Study of magnetic fields in stellar prominences.
3. Study of the role of magnetic fields in the late stages of stellar evolution.
Members
Principal investigator
Tobías
Felipe García
Project staff
Elena
Khomenko Shchukina
Íñigo
Arregui Uribe-Echevarría
Andrés
Asensio Ramos
Carlos Humberto
Domínguez-Tagle Paredes
María Jesús
Martínez González
Juan Carlos
Trelles Arjona
Carlos
Westendorp Plaza
Collaborators
Héctor David
Socas Navarro
Dr.
J.C. del Toro Iniesta
Dr.
R. Kostik
Dr.
N. Shchukina
Dr.
V. Olshevsky
Dr.
A. Sainz Dalda
Dr.
W. Schmidt
Dr.
Th. Berkefeld
Dr.
S.K. Solanki
Dr.
A. Gandorfer
Prof.
P. Cally
Dr.
S. Shelyag
Dr.
M. Stangalini
Dr.
C. Beck
Dr.
C. Kuckein
Dr.
C. Quintero Noda
Dr.
I. Calvo Santamaria
Dr.
C. González Fernández
Dr.
J.de la Cruz Rodríguez
Dr.
M. Leitzinger
Dr.
A. Pastor Yabar
Dr.
A. López Ariste
Dr.
Franco Leone
Dr.
R. Manso Sainz
Dr.
Luis R Bellot Rubio
Results
- Spiral waves in sunspots: They have been interpreted as magnetoacoustic waves propagating from the interior to the atmosphere following the direction of the magnetic field. We have characterized the magnetic field topology, dismissing the twist of the field lines as the cause of the spiral shape (Felipe et al. 2019).
- Magnetic response to umbral flashes: Simultaneous spectropolarimetric observations of the chromospheric He I 10830 and Ca II 8542 lines have been used to estimate the fluctuations of the magnetic field associated to shock waves. The shocks cause expansion of the magnetic field lines (Houston et al. 2018, including A. Asensio Ramos).
Scientific activity
Related publications
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Diagnostic capabilities of spectropolarimetric observations for understanding solar phenomena. I. Zeeman-sensitive photospheric linesFuture ground-based telescopes will expand our capabilities for simultaneous multi-line polarimetric observations in a wide range of wavelengths, from the near-ultraviolet to the near-infrared. This creates a strong demand to compare candidate spectral lines to establish a guideline of the lines that are most appropriate for each observation targetQuintero Noda, C. et al.
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82021 -
Constraining the magnetic vector in the quiet solar photosphere and the impact of instrumental degradationContext. With the advent of next generation high resolution telescopes, our understanding of how the magnetic field is organized in the internetwork (IN) photosphere is likely to advance significantly. Aims: We aim to evaluate the extent to which we can retrieve accurate information about the magnetic vector in the IN photosphere using inversionCampbell, R. J. et al.
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102021 -
Limitations of the Ca II 8542 Å Line for the Determination of Magnetic Field OscillationsChromospheric umbral oscillations produce periodic brightenings in the core of some spectral lines, known as umbral flashes. They are also accompanied by fluctuations in velocity, temperature, and, according to several recent works, magnetic field. In this study, we aim to ascertain the accuracy of the magnetic field determined from inversions ofFelipe, Tobias et al.
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92021 -
Performance of solar far-side active region neural detectionContext. Far-side helioseismology is a technique used to infer the presence of active regions in the far hemisphere of the Sun based on the interpretation of oscillations measured in the near hemisphere. A neural network has recently been developed to improve the sensitivity of the seismic maps to the presence of far-side active regions. Aims: OurBroock, E. G. et al.
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82021 -
Exploring the Sun's upper atmosphere with neural networks: Reversed patterns and the hot wall effectWe have developed an inversion procedure designed for high-resolution solar spectro-polarimeters, such as those of Hinode and the DKIST. The procedure is based on artificial neural networks trained with profiles generated from random atmospheric stratifications for a high generalization capability. When applied to Hinode data, we find a hot fineSocas-Navarro, H. et al.
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82021 -
Two-fluid simulations of Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a magnetized solar prominence thread. II. Effects of collisionalitySolar prominences are formed by partially ionized plasma with inter-particle collision frequencies generally warranting magnetohydrodynamic treatment. In this work we explore the dynamical impacts and observable signatures of two-fluid effects in the parameter regimes when ion-neutral collisions do not fully couple the neutral and charged fluidsPopescu Braileanu, B. et al.
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62021 -
Bayesian Evidence for a Nonlinear Damping Model for Coronal Loop OscillationsRecent observational and theoretical studies indicate that the damping of solar coronal loop oscillations depends on the oscillation amplitude. We consider two mechanisms: linear resonant absorption and a nonlinear damping model. We confront theoretical predictions from these models with observed data in the plane of observables defined by theArregui, Iñigo
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72021 -
Machine learning initialization to accelerate Stokes profile inversionsContext. At present, an exponential growth in scientific data from current and upcoming solar observatories is expected. Most of the data consist of high spatial and temporal resolution cubes of Stokes profiles taken in both local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE spectral lines. The analysis of such solar observations requires complexGafeira, R. et al.
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72021 -
Mapping the Hidden Magnetic Field of the Quiet SunThe Sun is the only star where we can resolve the intricate magnetism that all convective stars harbor. Yet, more than 99% of its visible surface along the solar cycle (the so-called quiet Sun) is filled with a tangled, unresolved magnetism. These "hidden" fields are thought to store enough magnetic energy to play a role in the heating of the Sun'sTrelles Arjona, J. C. et al.
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72021 -
Chromospheric Heating by Magnetohydrodynamic Waves and InstabilitiesThe importance of the chromosphere in the mass and energy transport within the solar atmosphere is now widely recognized. This review discusses the physics of magnetohydrodynamic waves and instabilities in large-scale chromospheric structures as well as in magnetic flux tubes. We highlight a number of key observational aspects that have helped ourSrivastava, A. K. et al.
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62021 -
Simulations of the Biermann battery mechanism in two-fluid partially ionised plasmasContext. In the absence of an initial seed, the Biermann battery term of a non-ideal induction equation acts as a source that generates weak magnetic fields. These fields are then amplified via a dynamo mechanism. The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is a fluid phenomenon that takes place in many astrophysical scenarios and can trigger the action ofMartínez-Gómez, D. et al.
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62021 -
Probing Uncertainties in Diagnostics of a Synthetic ChromosphereEffective spectroscopic diagnostics rely on the ability to convert a particular flux measurement into a physical interpretation. Knowledge of uncertainty is a central component of diagnostics. We present data from a simulated solar-like chromosphere, where we have addressed the question of whether degeneracy is a problem in mapping from a non-LTESchmit, Don et al.
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52021 -
Rubidium abundances in solar metallicity starsContext. Rubidium is one of the few elements produced by the neutron capture s- and r-processes in almost equal proportions. Recently, a Rb deficiency ([Rb/Fe] < 0.0), amounting to a factor of about two with respect to the Sun, has been found in M dwarfs of near-solar metallicity. This stands in contrast to the close-to-solar [Sr, Zr/Fe] ratiosAbia, C. et al.
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42021 -
Critical Science Plan for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST)The National Science Foundation's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) will revolutionize our ability to measure, understand, and model the basic physical processes that control the structure and dynamics of the Sun and its atmosphere. The first-light DKIST images, released publicly on 29 January 2020, only hint at the extraordinaryRast, Mark P. et al.
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42021 -
Combining magneto-hydrostatic constraints with Stokes profiles inversions. II. Application to Hinode/SP observationsContext. Inversion techniques applied to the radiative transfer equation for polarized light are capable of inferring the physical parameters in the solar atmosphere (temperature T, magnetic field B, and line-of-sight velocity v los) from observations of the Stokes vector (i.e., spectropolarimetric observations) in spectral lines. Inferences areBorrero, J. M. et al.
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32021 -
Empirical determination of atomic line parameters of the 1.5 μm spectral regionContext. Both the quality and amount of astrophysical data are steadily increasing over time owing to the improvement of telescopes and their instruments. This requires corresponding evolution of the techniques used for obtaining and analyzing the resulting data. The infrared spectral range at 1.56 μm usually observed by the GRegor InfraredTrelles Arjona, J. C. et al.
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42021 -
Temporal evolution of small-scale internetwork magnetic fields in the solar photosphereContext. While the longitudinal field that dominates in photospheric network regions has been studied extensively, small-scale transverse fields have recently been found to be ubiquitous in the quiet internetwork photosphere and this merits further study. Furthermore, few observations have been able to capture how this field evolves. Aims: We aimCampbell, R. J. et al.
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32021 -
Acoustic-gravity wave propagation characteristics in three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic simulations of the solar atmosphereThere has been tremendous progress in the degree of realism of three-dimensional radiation magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of the solar atmosphere in the past decades. Four of the most frequently used numerical codes are Bifrost, CO5BOLD, MANCHA3D and MURaM. Here we test and compare the wave propagation characteristics in model runs from theseFleck, B. et al.
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22021 -
Magnetoacoustic wave energy dissipation in the atmosphere of solar poresThe suitability of solar pores as magnetic wave guides has been a key topic of discussion in recent years. Here, we present observational evidence of propagating magnetohydrodynamic wave activity in a group of five photospheric solar pores. Employing data obtained by the Facility Infrared Spectropolarimeter at the Dunn Solar Telescope, oscillationsGilchrist-Millar, Caitlin A. et al.
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22021 -
Influence of ambipolar and Hall effects on vorticity in three-dimensional simulations of magneto-convectionThis paper presents the results of the analysis of three-dimensional simulations of solar magneto-convection that include the joint action of the ambipolar diffusion and the Hall effect. Three simulation runs are compared: one including both ambipolar diffusion and the Hall effect; one including only ambipolar diffusion and one without any of theseKhomenko, E. et al.
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22021
