Solar p-mode phenomenology

Abstract

New observations of solar p-mode amplitudes and line widths are presented, along with a phenomenological discussion of the excitation and damping of the modes. A surprising amount of structure is seen in the measured mode line widths as a function of frequency, which at present is unexplained. It is shown that the energy flux required to keep the p-modes excited to their observed amplitudes is of the same order of magnitude as the nonthermal energy flux required to heat the chromosphere. Thus it is not inconceivable that acoustic modes play some role in heating the solar atmosphere.