Abstract

Time-distance helioseismology has been used extensively to study mass flows (for example, flows associated with supergranulation), active regions, and sunspots. In nearly all of these studies the sensitivity of travel times to subsurface flows has been modeled using the first-order ray approximation. The Born approximation has been proposed as a more accurate alternative. In this paper we study the accuracy of the ray and Born approximations by comparison with numerical simulations of acoustic wave propagation through simple flows in two dimensions. The numerical experiments show that the Born approximation captures the basic behavior of the travel times except when the flow is strong enough that a significant reflected wave is seen. As expected, the first-order ray approximation fails to capture scattering effects.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.