Abstract
As the magnetic flux in a pore increases, it grows in radius and the magnetic field at its outer edge becomes increasingly inclined to the vertical. It is believed that this increased field inclination causes filamentary convection to set in and that this new pattern of convection eventually develops into the highly fluted azimuthal structure of sunspots. The linear instability was investigated in a highly idealized Boussinesq model by Tildesley. A non-linear extension of this work is carried out here and the saturation of the instability is explored. These solutions are contrasted with those obtained when the upper-boundary condition is modified by matching the magnetic field to a potential field above the convecting layer. In the non-linear regime an alternating pattern of hot and cool stripes is produced at the upper surface. The results from these model calculations are related to the transition from pores to protospots and to the development of penumbral filaments in sunspots.
Published Version (
Free)
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