Detection of wave activity within a realistic 3D magnetohydrodynamic quiet Sun simulation

¹ Rosseland Centre for Solar Physics, Universitetet i Oslo, Sem Sælands vei 13, 0371, Oslo, Norway
² Institutt for Teoretisk Astrofysikk, Universitetet i Oslo, Sem Sælands vei 13, 0371, Oslo, Norway
³ Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

^⋆ Corresponding author: georgche@uio.no

Received: 10 April 2025
Accepted: 10 July 2025

Abstract

Context. Tracing wave activity from the photosphere to the corona has important implications for coronal heating and prediction of the solar wind. Despite extensive theory and simulations, the detection of waves in realistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations still presents a large challenge due to wave interaction, mode conversion, and damping mechanisms.

Aims. We developed a method to address certain limitations of current wave decompositions. With this method, we aim to detect localised wave activity within a realistic MHD simulation of the solar atmosphere by the Bifrost code.

Methods. We present a new method of detecting the most significant contributions of wave activity within localised areas of the domain, aided by discrete Fourier transforms and frequency filtering. We correlate oscillations in the vertical and horizontal magnetic field, velocities parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field, and pressure to infer the nature of the dominant wave modes.

Results. Our method captures the most powerful frequencies and wavenumbers, and provides a new diagnostic for damping processes. We infer the presence of magnetoacoustic waves in the boundaries of prominent chromospheric and coronal swirling features. We find these waves are likely damped by viscous heating in the swirl boundaries, contributing to heating in the upper atmosphere.

Conclusions. Using the most significant frequency decomposition, we highlight that energy can be transported from the lower atmosphere to the upper atmosphere through waves and fluctuations along the swirl boundaries. Although further analysis is needed to confirm these findings, our new method provides a path forward to investigate wave activity in the solar atmosphere.