Wave excitation by a collapsing granule

Buttler, J.; Vigeesh, G.; Milić, I.; van Noort, M.; Díaz Castillo, S. M.; Díaz Baso, C. J.; Riva, Fabio Matteo; Steiner, Oskar

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202660849

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Journal article

Wave excitation by a collapsing granule : insights from integral field unit observations and high-resolution radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulations

Buttler, J. Institut für Sonnenphysik (KIS), Freiburg, Germany
Vigeesh, G. Institut für Sonnenphysik (KIS), Freiburg, Germany
Milić, I. Institut für Sonnenphysik (KIS), Freiburg, Germany - Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade, Serbia - Astronomical Observatory, Belgrade, Serbia
van Noort, M. Max-Planck Institute für Sonnensystemforschung, Göttingen, Germany
Díaz Castillo, S. M. Institut für Sonnenphysik (KIS), Freiburg, Germany - French-Spanish Laboratory for Astrophysics in Canaries (FSLAC), THEMIS S.L.U., La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Díaz Baso, C. J. Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Norway - Rosseland Centre for Solar Physics, University of Oslo, Norway
Riva, Fabio Matteo ORCID Istituto ricerche solari Aldo e Cele Daccò (IRSOL), Faculty of Informatics, Università della Svizzera italiana Switzerland
Steiner, Oskar ORCID Istituto ricerche solari Aldo e Cele Daccò (IRSOL), Faculty of Informatics, Università della Svizzera italiana Switzerland - Institut für Sonnenphysik (KIS), Freiburg, Germany

2026

Published in:

Astronomy & Astrophysics. - 2026, vol. 714

English Context. Granular collapse is a ubiquitous process of granular evolution on the solar surface, but it is hard to analyze in sufficient spatial, temporal, and spectral detail. Aims. We analyzed the change in physical conditions in the photosphere during a specific granular collapse event and the subsequent atmospheric response. Methods. We contrasted a high-resolution radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a granular collapse performed using the CO5BOLD code with the recent integral field unit observations carried out using the MiHI instrument at the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope. Results. The observed and simulated granular collapses are remarkably similar. Specifically, they both exhibit the signature of a wave pulse excited in the deep photosphere that is visible up to the temperature minimum. This wave is detectable through a blue-wing emission in the observed and synthetic Na I D1 line. We also estimated the acoustic energy flux carried by the wave and analyzed its initiation. Conclusions. Combining high-resolution integral field unit spectropolarimetry and state-of-the-art simulations of the solar lower atmosphere, this study showcases our current capabilities in identifying specific physical processes taking place during granular collapse and their impact on the atmosphere above.

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