Magnetic coupling of waves and oscillations in the lower solar atmosphere: can the tail wag the dog?

Abstract

Can the ubiquitously magnetic solar atmosphere have any effect on solar global oscillations? Traditionally, solar atmospheric magnetic fields are considered to be somewhat less important for the existence and characteristic features of solar global oscillations ( p , f and the not-yet-observed g -modes). In this paper, I demonstrate the importance of the presence of magnetism and plasma dynamics for global resonant oscillations in the solar atmosphere. In particular, in the lower part of the solar atmosphere there are both coherent and random components of magnetic fields and velocity fields, each of which contribute on its own to the line widths and frequency variations of solar global acoustic waves. Changes in the coherent large-scale atmospheric magnetic fields cause frequency shifts of global oscillations over a solar cycle. The random character of the continuously emerging, more localized, magnetic carpet (i.e. small-scale, possibly even sub-resolution, loops) gives rise to additional frequency shifts. On the other hand, random and organized surface and sub-surface flows, like surface granulation, meridional flows or differential rotation, also affect the coupling mechanism of global oscillations to the lower magnetic atmosphere. The competition between magnetic fields and flows is inevitable. Finally, I shall discuss how solar global oscillations can resonantly interact with the overlaying inhomogeneous lower solar atmosphere embedded in a magnetic carpet. Line width broadening and distorsion of global acoustic modes will be discussed. The latter is suggested to be tested and measured by using ring-analysis techniques.