Simulations & Observations

Dynamics of the Lower Solar Atmosphere: 


The lower solar atmosphere comprises the photosphere, the visible surface of the Sun, and the chromosphere. While the temperature decreases steadily with height in the photosphere, it starts to rise again in the chromosphere. The temperature minimum between both defines the boundary between these layers and is about 1000 K lower. This strange behavior of the temperature, the increase of it with height, brings up the important and still not satisfactorily answered question of the atmospheric heating mechanism defining the so-called chromospheric and coronal heating problem.
The scientific community came up with two principle approaches: AC (alternate current) or wave heating processes and DC (direct current) or reconnection heating. To investigate the heating processes in full detail it is essential to study the dynamics of these layers and the visible features within them in full detail. Due to steadily improving instruments (ground based observatories but also space-crafts) and numerical computer simulations the dynamics and processes happening in the lower solar atmosphere can be studied nowadays in depth.
In detail our working group investigates and is interested in the following topics:

SolarGranulation: The visual pattern created by the convection in the photosphere;


Magnetic Fields: Due to the ionization of the solar matter, electrical currents can be built up leading together with plasma flows to dynamo processes causing magnetic fields;


Long-Term Variability: The Sun is not a steady star but undergoes changes in its characteristics on different time-scales such as the well-known 11 year solar cycle.



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