A persistent quiet-Sun small-scale tornado

Abstract

Context. Vortex flows can foster a variety of wave modes. A recent oscillatory analysis of a persistent 1.7 h vortex flow with a significant substructure has suggested the existence of various types of waves within it. Aims. We investigate the nature and characteristics of waves within this quiet-Sun vortex flow, over the course of an uninterrupted 48-min observing time interval, in order to better understand its physics and dynamics. Methods. We used a cross-wavelet spectral analysis between pairs of Hα and Ca II 8542 Å intensity time series at different wavelengths and, hence, atmospheric heights, acquired with the CRisp Imaging SpectroPolarimeter at the Swedish Solar Telescope, as well as the derived Hα Doppler velocity and full width at half maximum time series. We constructed halftone frequency-phase difference plots and investigated the existence and propagation characteristics of different wave modes. Results. Our analysis suggests the existence of Alfvénic type waves within the vortex flow that propagate upwards with phase speeds of ∼20–30 km s−1. The dominant wave mode seems to be the fast kink wave mode, however, our analysis also suggests the existence of localised Alfvénic torsional waves, which are related to the dynamics of individual chromospheric swirls that characterise the substructure of the vortex flow. The Hα V–I phase difference analysis seems to imply the existence of a standing wave pattern that is possibly arising from the interference of upwards propagating kink waves with downwards propagating ones that are reflected at the transition region or the corona. Moreover, the results provide further evidence that the central chromospheric swirl drives the dynamics of the vortex flow. Conclusions. This is the first exhaustive phase difference analysis within a vortex flow that explores the nature and dynamics of different wave modes within it. The question, however, of whether, and how, the dissipation of the derived wave modes occurs remains open, and given that such structures are ubiquitous on the solar surface, it’s also important to investigate whether they might ultimately play a significant role in the energy budget of the upper layers of the solar atmosphere.