3D Numerical Simulations of f-Mode Propagation Through Magnetic Flux Tubes

Three-dimensional numerical simulations have been used to study the scattering of a surface-gravity wave packet by vertical magnetic-flux tubes, with radii from 200 km to 3 Mm, embedded in stratified polytropic atmosphere. The scattered wave has been found to consist primarily of m = 0 (axisymmetric) and m = 1 modes. The ratio of the amplitude of these two modes was found to be strongly dependent on the radius of the flux tube. The kink mode is the dominant mode excited in tubes with a small radius, while the sausage mode is dominant for large tubes. Simulations of this type provide a simple, efficient, and robust way to start to understand the seismic signature of flux tubes, which have recently begun to be observed. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.