Characteristics of Magnetohydrodynamic Oscillations Observed with the Michelson Doppler Imager

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We report on the spatial distribution of the magnetogram oscillatory power and the phase angles between velocity and magnetogram signals as observed with the Michelson Doppler Imager. The data set is 15125 × 15125, containing the sunspot from 1997 December 2 with a temporal sampling interval of 60 s and spatial sampling of 0605. The simultaneously observed continuum intensity and surface velocity accompany the magnetic information. We focus on three frequency regimes: 0.5-1.0, 3.0-3.5, and 5.5-6.0 mHz, corresponding roughly to timescales of magnetic evolution, p-modes, and the 3 minute resonant sunspot oscillation. Significant low-frequency magnetogram power is found in lower flux pixels, 100-300 G, in a striking ring with filamentary structure surrounding the sunspot. The 5 minute magnetogram power peaks in extended regions of flux that measure 600-800 G. The 3 minute oscillation is observed in the sunspot umbra in pixels whose flux measures 1300-1500 G. Phase angles of approximately -90° between velocity and magnetic flux in the 3.0-3.5 and 5.5-6.0 mHz regimes are found in regions of significant cross amplitude.
All Related Versions