![Geometric extent of the chromosphere above an active region. Three-dimensional visualization of the geometric extent of the chromosphere above active region NOAA 12565. An image of the Earth is added to provide a sense of scale.](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_square_2_2_to_320px/public/images/news/chromosphere_sunspot_final.png?h=a770f62d&itok=YlyDThvP)
Sunspots are intense collections of magnetic fields that pierce through the Sun’s photosphere, with their signatures extending upwards into the outermost extremities of the solar corona. Cutting-edge observations and simulations are providing insights into the underlying wave generation, configuration and damping mechanisms found in sunspot atmospheres. However, the in situ amplification of magnetohydrodynamic waves, rising from a few hundreds of metres per second in the photosphere to several kilometres per second in the chromosphere, has, until now, proved difficult to explain. Theory
Advertised on