Grants related:
General
Numerical simulation through complex computer codes has been a fundamental tool in physics and technology research for decades. The rapid growth of computing capabilities, coupled with significant advances in numerical mathematics, has made this branch of research accessible to medium-sized research centers, bridging the gap between theoretical and experimental physics. Astrophysics is no exception to this trend. Since the late 1970s, a specialized field known as computational astrophysics has emerged, allowing us to understand a wide range of phenomena that were previously inaccessible to pure theoretical research and to account for previously unexplained observations.
In recent decades, its primary areas of application have included (magneto)hydrodynamic phenomena and gas dynamics in various cosmic environments. For example, this includes the interiors and atmospheres of stars and planets, the interstellar medium, including magnetohydrodynamics and dynamos, accretion disks, the evolution of planetary nebulae, supernova explosions and remnants, and more. The incorporation of radiative transport equations into numerical simulations, which occurred in past decades, has added greater realism to the study of hydrodynamic processes in stellar photospheres and chromospheres.
The current project aims to support the development of astrophysical research at the IAC based on the use of large numerical codes that require massively parallel computers and their connection with observational results. The general objective of this project is to perform calculations related to cosmic fluid dynamics and radiative transport. The topics of these calculations will focus on:
1. Magnetized gas dynamics in the interiors and atmospheres of stars.
2. Radiation transport and polarization signals in spectral lines based on realistic atomic and molecular models, including Hanle and Zeeman effects.
3. Comparing theoretical/numerical results with observational data.
This project is particularly relevant given the increasing involvement of the IAC in national and European supercomputing networks and, more generally, in large-scale supercomputer installation initiatives.
Members
Results
In the following, we highlight the results of our annual year-end summary.
Throughout the year 2022, partial ionization effects, nonequilibrium ionization effects, and multi-fluids have been one the main blocks of development both from the theoretical and numerical perspective. For instance, a generalization of the the Braginskii 1965 equations has been achieved for a general multi-species plasmas with arbitrary masses and temperatures, and where all of the viscosities and heat fluxes in the model are described by their own evolution equations. This new approach has a crucial advantage that the parallel components along the magnetic field lines do not become unbounded (infinitely large) in regimes of low-collisionallity of interest for this group as, for example, the solar corona (Hunana et al. 2022). In this thematic block, 2D and 3D simulations, using a two-fluid model that treats the neutral and ionized species as two separate components, have also been performed to analyze the effect that the collisional interaction between both components has on the dynamics of coronal rain, the evolution of the instability of Kelvin-Helmholtz, the propagation of magneto-acoustic waves through the solar chromosphere or the heating of the plasma (Martínez-Gómez et al. 2022a). Another example of the theoretical development with potential numerical applications has been the pursuit of the effects of the ambipolar diffusion in the chromosphere from a more fundamental perspective by means of analytical solutions. The obtained solutions for cases with cylindrical symmetry are shown to constitute a demanding, but nonetheless viable, test for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) codes that incorporate ambipolar diffusion. In addition, detailed tabulated runs of the solutions have been made available public for the community (Moreno-Insertis et al. 2022). Lastly, nonequilibrium ionization effects of the Hydrogen atom together with the study of the Lyman α effects have been started to study in simple configurations to be applied later in realistic simulations that include the chromosphere.
Improving and testing the capabilities of the available MHD codes in the solar group has been another of the major key developments carried out in 2022. For example, the results obtained by Moreno-Insertis et al. 2022 were used to check that the MHD Bifrost code is able to reproduce the theoretical solutions with sufficient accuracy up to very advanced diffusive times, as well as to explore the asymptotic properties of these theoretical solutions. In addition to that, several changes have been performed in the MANCHA code whose aim was to increase the efficiency and to add new features that will allow the researchers to perform more realistic experiments as well as exploring new research areas. For instance, MANCHA code has been extended to be able to simulate solar simulations up to the corona, adding a new module that efficiently calculates one of the key ingredients in the corona: the thermal conduction (Navarro et al. 2022). The preparation of the MANCHA code for its multi-fluid extension with radiation has also been another working branch concerning the numerical development in 2022. In addition, new equation-of-state and opacity routines have been developed that allow separating the equilibrium background contributions from those treated out of the equilibrium. Besides facing different challenges in solar physics, the huge development brought about in MANCHA is useful to study main sequence cool stars (G,K,M), which contributes to the better understanding of the stellar physics. To accomplish all these tasks, it was necessary not only to carry out numerous scaling tests and numerical experiments in local machines at the IAC, as well as on Supercomputers such as LaPalma, PICASSO, PizDaint, and MareNostrum4; but also to work together with external collaborators.
During 2022, in this project there has also been a focus on different solar atmosphere phenomena and the corresponding comparison with observations. As an illustrative example, Coronal Bright Points (CBPs) have been modeled for the first time with enough realism to unravel the mechanisms that generate them and provide them with energy, being also able to explain different characteristics observed from space satellites. The comparison with observations is through synthetic SDO/AIA, Solar Orbiter EUI-HRI, and IRIS images that have been computed from the numerical experiment performed with the Bifrost code (Nóbrega-Siverio and Moreno-Insertis, 2022). Another example is the combination of 3D numerical experiments with the MoLMH code and forward modelling using Hα line to study transverse kink oscillations in prominence threads. The results contain relevant implications for the field of prominence seismology, showing that the Hα emission can be used to detect the fundamental mode of the oscillations (Martínez-Gómez et al. 2022b). In addition, ground high-resolution observations of ejective phenomena such as surges in the solar atmosphere have been analyzed, finding striking similarities with results obtained from numerical experiments. On top of that, there have also been significant contributions from the members of this project to the further advance of the observations and construction of new telescopes (Quintero et al. 2022) and satellites (De Pontieu et al. 2022, Cheung et al. 2022), using the earned knowledge from the theoretical-numerical experiments. Finally, an exploratory first attempt at understanding the physics of coronal holes and active regions from a global point of view through 2D magnetohydrostatic solutions was performed (Terradas et al. 2022), which will need of further development in the incoming years for comparisons with observations.
Last but not least, state-of-the-art tools such as the ones provided by Machine Learning and Bayesian statistics have been applied to solar atmosphere problems. In this vein, a project to characterize the limits of the k-means methods and its application to solar observations was launched. In addition, new development in radiative transfer codes have being started to use in a preliminary study of machine learning approach to the computations of radiative terms. Development of the application of Bayesian techniques to the comparison of models in seismology of the solar atmosphere continued in 2022, with a review article published that accounts for the main results obtained in the last decade (Arregui 2022a). Moreover, the Bayesian formalism has been successfully applied to the prediction of the amplitude of the solar activity cycle, proposing a new methodology to quantify the goodness of both the prediction and the underlying model (Arregui 2022b).
Scientific activity
Related publications
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The C/O ratio at low metallicity: constraints on early chemical evolution from observations of Galactic halo starsAims: We present new measurements of the abundances of carbon and oxygen derived from high-excitation C i and O i absorption lines in metal-poor halo stars, with the aim of clarifying the main sources of these two elements in the early stages of the chemical enrichment of the Galaxy. Methods: We target 15 new stars compared to our previous studyFabbian, D. et al.
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62009 -
Stellar Kinematics in Double-Barred Galaxies: The σ-HollowsWe present SAURON integral-field stellar velocity and velocity dispersion maps for four double-barred early-type galaxies: NGC 2859, NGC 3941, NGC 4725, and NGC 5850. The presence of the inner bar does not produce major changes in the line-of-sight velocity, but it appears to have an important effect in the stellar velocity dispersion maps: we findde Lorenzo-Cáceres, A. et al.
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92008 -
Solar Abundance Corrections Derived Through Three-dimensional Magnetoconvection SimulationsWe explore the effect of the magnetic field when using realistic three-dimensional convection experiments to determine solar element abundances. By carrying out magnetoconvection simulations with a radiation-hydro code (the Copenhagen stagger code) and through a posteriori spectral synthesis of three Fe I lines, we obtain evidence that moderateFabbian, D. et al.
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122010 -
Neutral oxygen spectral line formation revisited with new collisional data: large departures from LTE at low metallicityAims: A detailed study is presented, including estimates of the impact on elemental abundance analysis, of the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) formation of the high-excitation neutral oxygen 777 nm triplet in model atmospheres representative of stars with spectral types F to K. Methods: We have applied the statistical equilibrium codeFabbian, D. et al.
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62009 -
The Electrical Current Density Vector in the Inner Penumbra of a SunspotWe determine the entire electrical current density vector in a geometrical three-dimensional volume of the inner penumbra of a sunspot from an inversion of spectropolarimetric data obtained with Hinode/SP. Significant currents are seen to wrap around the hotter, more elevated regions with lower and more horizontal magnetic fields that harbor strongPuschmann, K. G. et al.
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92010 -
Magnetoacoustic Wave Energy from Numerical Simulations of an Observed Sunspot UmbraWe aim at reproducing the height dependence of sunspot wave signatures obtained from spectropolarimetric observations through three-dimensional MHD numerical simulations. A magnetostatic sunspot model based on the properties of the observed sunspot is constructed and perturbed at the photosphere, introducing the fluctuations measured with the Si IFelipe, T. et al.
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72011 -
A Geometrical Height Scale for Sunspot PenumbraeInversions of spectropolarimetric observations of penumbral filaments deliver the stratification of different physical quantities in an optical depth scale. However, without establishing a geometrical height scale, their three-dimensional geometrical structure cannot be derived. This is crucial in understanding the correct spatial variation ofPuschmann, K. G. et al.
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92010 -
Three-dimensional Radiative Transfer Modeling of the Polarization of the Sun's Continuous SpectrumPolarized light provides the most reliable source of information at our disposal for diagnosing the physical properties of astrophysical plasmas, including the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the solar atmosphere. Here we formulate and solve the 3D radiative transfer problem of the linear polarization of the solar continuous radiation, which isTrujillo Bueno, Javier et al.
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42009 -
Non-LTE Determination of the Silicon Abundance Using a Three-dimensional Hydrodynamical Model of the Solar PhotosphereConfrontations of spectroscopic observations with local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) spectral syntheses in a three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamical model of the solar photosphere led to a downward revision of the photospheric and meteoritic silicon abundances. Here we derive the photospheric silicon abundance taking into account non-LTE (NLTE)Shchukina, N. et al.
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82012 -
Gauss-Seidel and Successive Overrelaxation Methods for Radiative Transfer with Partial Frequency RedistributionThe linearly polarized solar limb spectrum that is produced by scattering processes contains a wealth of information on the physical conditions and magnetic fields of the solar outer atmosphere, but the modeling of many of its strongest spectral lines requires solving an involved non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative transfer problemSampoorna, M. et al.
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42010 -
Channeling 5 Minute Photospheric Oscillations into the Solar Outer Atmosphere through Small-Scale Vertical Magnetic Flux TubesWe report two-dimensional MHD simulations which demonstrate that photospheric 5 minute oscillations can leak into the chromosphere inside small-scale vertical magnetic flux tubes. The results of our numerical experiments are compatible with those inferred from simultaneous spectropolarimetric observations of the photosphere and chromosphereKhomenko, E. et al.
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32008 -
The Sunrise MissionThe first science flight of the balloon-borne Sunrise telescope took place in June 2009 from ESRANGE (near Kiruna/Sweden) to Somerset Island in northern Canada. We describe the scientific aims and mission concept of the project and give an overview and a description of the various hardware components: the 1-m main telescope with its postfocusBarthol, P. et al.
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12011 -
The Frontier between Small-scale Bipoles and Ephemeral Regions in the Solar Photosphere: Emergence and Decay of an Intermediate-scale Bipole Observed with SUNRISE/IMaXWe report on the photospheric evolution of an intermediate-scale (≈4 Mm footpoint separation) magnetic bipole, from emergence to decay, observed in the quiet Sun at high spatial (0farcs3) and temporal (33 s) resolution. The observations were acquired by the Imaging Magnetograph Experiment imaging magnetograph during the first science flight of theGuglielmino, S. L. et al.
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22012 -
The Filter Imager SuFI and the Image Stabilization and Light Distribution System ISLiD of the Sunrise Balloon-Borne Observatory: Instrument DescriptionWe describe the design of the Sunrise Filter Imager (SuFI) and the Image Stabilization and Light Distribution (ISLiD) unit onboard the Sunrise balloon borne solar observatory. This contribution provides the necessary information which is relevant to understand the instruments' working principles, the relevant technical data, and the necessaryGandorfer, A. et al.
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12011 -
Mesogranulation and the Solar Surface Magnetic Field DistributionThe relation of the solar surface magnetic field with mesogranular cells is studied using high spatial (≈100 km) and temporal (≈30 s) resolution data obtained with the IMaX instrument on board SUNRISE. First, mesogranular cells are identified using Lagrange tracers (corks) based on horizontal velocity fields obtained through local correlationYelles-Chaouche, L. et al.
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22011 -
Magnetic field emergence in mesogranular-sized exploding granules observed with sunrise/IMaX dataWe report on magnetic field emergences covering significant areas of exploding granules. The balloon-borne mission Sunrise provided high spatial and temporal resolution images of the solar photosphere. Continuum images, longitudinal and transverse magnetic field maps and Dopplergrams obtained by IMaX onboard Sunrise are analyzed by localPalacios, J. et al.
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12012 -
Center-to-limb variation of the area covered by magnetic bright points in the quiet SunContext. The quiet Sun magnetic fields produce ubiquitous bright points (BPs) that cover a significant fraction of the solar surface. Their contribution to the total solar irradiance (TSI) is so-far unknown. Aims: We aim at measuring the center-to-limb variation (CLV) of the fraction of solar surface covered by quiet Sun magnetic bright points. TheBonet, J. A. et al.
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32012 -
Pattern Speeds of Bars and Spiral Arms from Hα Velocity FieldsWe have applied the Tremaine-Weinberg method to 10 late-type barred spiral galaxies using data cubes, in Hα emission, from the FaNTOmM and GHAFAS Fabry-Perot spectrometers. We have combined the derived bar (and/or spiral) pattern speeds with angular frequency plots to measure the corotation radii for the bars in these galaxies. We base our resultsFathi, K. et al.
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102009 -
Stray-light contamination and spatial deconvolution of slit-spectrograph observationsContext. Stray light caused by scattering on optical surfaces and in the Earth's atmosphere degrades the spatial resolution of observations. Whereas post-facto reconstruction techniques are common for 2D imaging and spectroscopy, similar options for slit-spectrograph data are rarely applied. Aims: We study the contribution of stray light to the twoBeck, C. et al.
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112011 -
Magneto-acoustic waves in sunspots from observations and numerical simulationsWe study the propagation of waves from the photosphere to the chromosphere of sunspots. From time series of cospatial Ca II H (including its line blends) intensity spectra and polarimetric spectra of Si I λ 1082.7 nm and He I λ 1083.0 nm we retrieve the line-of-sight velocity at several heights. The analysis of the phase difference andFelipe, T. et al.
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12011