Fluting Modes in Transversely Nonuniform Solar Flux Tubes

Abstract

Abstract Magnetohydrodynamic waves of different types are frequently observed in magnetic flux tubes of the solar atmosphere and are often modeled using simple models. In the standard flux tube model made of a straight uniform tube with an abrupt boundary, transverse wave modes are classified according to their azimuthal wavenumber, m. Sausage (m = 0) and kink (m = 1) modes produce pulsations of the cross section and transverse oscillations of tube axis, respectively. Both sausage and kink modes have been observed in the solar atmosphere. Fluting ( ) modes produce perturbations that are essentially confined around the boundary of the tube, i.e., they have a strong surface-like character. Unlike sausage and kink modes, the detection of fluting modes remains elusive. Here we show that the inclusion of transverse inhomogeneity in the flux tube model dramatically affects the properties of fluting modes. Even in a thin tube, kink and fluting modes are no longer degenerate in frequency when the tube has a smooth boundary. In addition, fluting modes become heavily damped by resonant absorption in a timescale shorter than the oscillation period. The perturbations loose their global shape and their distinctive surface-like appearance. As a consequence of that, we argue that nonuniform flux tubes with smooth boundaries may not be able to support fluting-like perturbations as coherent, global modes.