Comment on “Detection of Emerging Sunspot Regions in the Solar Interior”

Abstract

Ilonidis et al . (Reports, 19 August 2011, p. 993) report acoustic travel-time decreases associated with emerging sunspot regions before their appearance on the solar surface. An independent analysis using helioseismic holography does not confirm these travel-time anomalies for the four regions illustrated by Ilonidis et al . This negative finding is consistent with expectations based on current emerging flux models.