A photometric study of heat flow at the solar photosphere

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (50) References (30) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS A photometric study of heat flow at the solar photosphere Foukal, P. ; Fowler, L. Abstract Results of a general survey of photospheric heat flow on scales between granulation and global scale convection are presented. Photometric rasters in the visible continuum show a prominent mottle pattern whose scale and morphology resemble the CaK chromospheric network, but the pattern's correlation with photospheric magnetic fields is too low and its lifetime of 5-10 minutes is too short to support any physical connection to the supergranulation. The network exhibits a slight excess continuum brightness relative to the nonmagnetic photosphere at mu = 1. An upper limit of 2-3 K is placed on nonaxisymmetric brightness inhomogeneities over scales of 50,000-200,000 km. This limit provides a more direct constraint on models of global scale convection than do existing limits on a pole-equator temperature difference. The absence of a thermal shadow preceding an observed spot group seems to favor the higher eddy thermal conductivity profile of Spruit's (1974) model compared to that of Baker and Temesvary (1966). Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: June 1984 DOI: 10.1086/162115 Bibcode: 1984ApJ...281..442F Keywords: Astronomical Photometry; Heat Flux; Photosphere; Solar Atmosphere; Solar Granulation; Limb Darkening; Magnetic Flux; Solar Magnetic Field; Sunspots; Thermal Conductivity; Solar Physics full text sources ADS | Related Materials (1) Erratum: 1984ApJ...286..377F