Chromospheric Resonances above Sunspots and Potential Seismological Applications

Abstract

Oscillations in sunspot umbrae exhibit remarkable differences between the photosphere and chromosphere. We evaluate two competing scenarios proposed for explaining those observations: a chromospheric resonant cavity and waves traveling from the photosphere to upper atmospheric layers. We have employed numerical simulations to analyze the oscillations in both models. They have been compared with observations in the low (Na i D 2 ) and high (He i 10830 Å) chromosphere. The nodes of the resonant cavity can be detected as phase jumps or power dips, although the identification of the latter is not sufficient to claim the existence of resonances. In contrast, phase differences between velocity and temperature fluctuations reveal standing waves and unequivocally prove the presence of an acoustic resonator above umbrae. Our findings offer a new seismic method to probe active region chromospheres through the detection of resonant nodes.