We characterize the observational properties of the convectively driven vortex flows recently discovered on the quiet Sun, using magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and images obtained with the 1 m balloon-borne SUNRISE telescope. By visual inspection of time series, we find some 3.1 × 10-3 vortices Mm-2 minute-1, which is a factor of ~1.7 larger than

The SUNRISE balloon-borne solar observatory consists of a 1 m aperture Gregory telescope, a UV filter imager, an imaging vector polarimeter, an image stabilization system, and further infrastructure. The first science flight of SUNRISE yielded high-quality data that revealed the structure, dynamics, and evolution of solar convection, oscillations

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The joint consideration of theoretical and observational arguments is used to conclude that two different spot populations co-exist in the Sun.

Aims: We suggest an explanation for the high-frequency power excess surrounding active regions known as seismic halos. Methods: We use numerical simulations of magneto-acoustic wave propagation in a magnetostatic sunspot model. Results: We propose that seismic halos can be caused by the additional energy injected by high-frequency fast mode waves