Understanding Active Region Emergence and Origins on the Sun and Other Cool Stars

Emre I\c{s}{\i}k; Hannah Schunker; Laur\`ene Jouve; Maria A. Weber

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Understanding Active Region Emergence and Origins on the Sun and Other Cool Stars

Maria A. Weber, Hannah Schunker, Laurène Jouve, Emre Iş{i}k

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Submitted 10 Jun 2023

abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review

The authors' main claim We discuss the outcomes of statistical studies which provide observational evidence that flux emergence may be a more passive process (at least in the upper convection zone); dominated to a greater extent by the influence of convection and to a lesser extent by buoyancy and the Coriolis force acting on rising magnetic flux tubes than previously thought.

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arXiv ID2306.06536 (version 1)

Pith IDB5C2LO6L, Pith's permanent record of this paper and its review

CitationEmre I\c{s}{\i}k, Hannah Schunker, Laur\`ene Jouve, Maria A. Weber. "Understanding Active Region Emergence and Origins on the Sun and Other Cool Stars." arXiv:2306.06536 (2023). https://pith.science/paper/B5C2LO6L

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What the abstract itself states, as probabilities: claims first 0.03 · states limitation 0.18 · human participants 0.02 · controlled comparison 0.04 · randomized assignment 0.01 · states quantitative result 0.05 · compares with prior results 0.32 · mentions code or data availability 0.02.

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arXiv listing abstract v1. Results and the main claim are underlined; show every role.

The emergence of active regions on the Sun is an integral feature of the solar dynamo mechanism. However, details about the generation of active-region-scale magnetism and the journey of this magnetic flux to the photosphere are still in question. Shifting paradigms are now developing for the source depth of the Sun's large-scale magnetism, the organization of this magnetism into fibril flux tubes, and the role of convection in shaping active-region observables. Here we review the landscape of flux emergence theories and simulations, highlight the role flux emergence plays in the global dynamo process, and make connections between flux emergence on the Sun and other cool stars. As longer-term and higher fidelity observations of both solar active regions and their associated flows are amassed, it is now possible to place new constraints on models of emerging flux. We discuss the outcomes of statistical studies which provide observational evidence that flux emergence may be a more passive process (at least in the upper convection zone); dominated to a greater extent by the influence of convection and to a lesser extent by buoyancy and the Coriolis force acting on rising magnetic flux tubes than previously thought. We also discuss how the relationship between stellar rotation, fractional convection zone depth, and magnetic activity on other stars can help us better understand flux emergence processes. Looking forward, we identify open questions regarding magnetic flux emergence that we anticipate can be addressed in the next decade with further observations and simulations.

background contribution method result interpretation main claim

What the classifier reports for each sentence. The number is the probability it gave the label.
#	sentence	role	the authors' own work	states the main conclusion	strength
s0	The emergence of active regions on the Sun is an integral feature of the solar dynamo mechanism.	background 1.00	0.04	0.03	asserted 1.00
s1	However, details about the generation of active-region-scale magnetism and the journey of this magnetic flux to the photosphere are still in question.	gap 1.00	0.04	0.03	asserted 0.85
s2	Shifting paradigms are now developing for the source depth of the Sun's large-scale magnetism, the organization of this magnetism into fibril flux tubes, and the role of convection in shaping active-region observables.	background 0.94	0.05	0.08	asserted 0.79
s3	Here we review the landscape of flux emergence theories and simulations, highlight the role flux emergence plays in the global dynamo process, and make connections between flux emergence on the Sun and other cool stars.	contribution 1.00	0.51	0.11	asserted 0.65
s4	As longer-term and higher fidelity observations of both solar active regions and their associated flows are amassed, it is now possible to place new constraints on models of emerging flux.	background 0.85	0.07	0.05	asserted 0.54
s5	We discuss the outcomes of statistical studies which provide observational evidence that flux emergence may be a more passive process (at least in the upper convection zone); dominated to a greater extent by the influence of convection and to a lesser extent by buoyancy and the Coriolis force acting on rising magnetic flux tubes than previously thought.	result 0.43	0.20	0.53	hedged possibility 0.99
s6	We also discuss how the relationship between stellar rotation, fractional convection zone depth, and magnetic activity on other stars can help us better understand flux emergence processes.	contribution 0.95	0.16	0.08	hedged possibility 0.60
s7	Looking forward, we identify open questions regarding magnetic flux emergence that we anticipate can be addressed in the next decade with further observations and simulations.	future work 1.00	0.36	0.06	hedged possibility 0.85

What kind of paper the classifier reports this is: review 1.00 · evidence from literature 0.99.

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arXiv listing abstract v1

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C citations
R cross-paper relations

Every quoted sentence on this record is the authors'. Every label is from Pith's closed vocabulary, with the probability shown beside it. Every number in the measurements table is the authors', checked by code. Record as JSON

The paper

Original abstract

The emergence of active regions on the Sun is an integral feature of the solar dynamo mechanism. However, details about the generation of active-region-scale magnetism and the journey of this magnetic flux to the photosphere are still in question. Shifting paradigms are now developing for the source depth of the Sun's large-scale magnetism, the organization of this magnetism into fibril flux tubes, and the role of convection in shaping active-region observables. Here we review the landscape of flux emergence theories and simulations, highlight the role flux emergence plays in the global dynamo process, and make connections between flux emergence on the Sun and other cool stars. As longer-term and higher fidelity observations of both solar active regions and their associated flows are amassed, it is now possible to place new constraints on models of emerging flux. We discuss the outcomes of statistical studies which provide observational evidence that flux emergence may be a more passive process (at least in the upper convection zone); dominated to a greater extent by the influence of convection and to a lesser extent by buoyancy and the Coriolis force acting on rising magnetic flux tubes than previously thought. We also discuss how the relationship between stellar rotation, fractional convection zone depth, and magnetic activity on other stars can help us better understand flux emergence processes. Looking forward, we identify open questions regarding magnetic flux emergence that we anticipate can be addressed in the next decade with further observations and simulations.

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References

Forward citations

Cited by 2 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

The spatial structure of solar magnetoconvection at scales up to $60$~Mm
astro-ph.SR 2026-11 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

A high-resolution magnetoconvection simulation reproduces observed solar velocity power spectra at scales up to 60 Mm and explains the supergranular Doppler peak through density perturbations near the surface.
Solar Photospheric Flows and the Origin of Active Regions
astro-ph.SR 2026-10 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

Observations of three developing active regions show no evidence of the divergent flows and disrupted supergranulation predicted by the rising-flux-tube model, supporting a flow-driven origin for sunspots.

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3 arXiv papers cite this in 3 sentences

Each citing sentence is taken from the citing paper's LaTeX source and typed by Pith's classifier. A label appears at probability 0.8 or more (0.95 for support), a contest at 0.7 or more; the quoted words are the citing authors'. How each label was checked · JSON

Papers citing it · 2 sentences without a confident label

Cites it as background 1 paper

Models and concepts for the subsurface origin of active regions are reviewed by [ref] and [ref] .

Solar active region scaling laws revisited · Implications for active region formation · 1.00

What it cites · 127 sentences without a confident label

Uses the method or tool of 2 papers

[ref] have circumvented this somewhat by performing simulations of thin flux tubes embedded within a time-varying 3D convective velocity field (see Sec. [ref]).

The Rise of Active Region Flux Tubes in the Turbulent Solar Convective Envelope · Statistical constraints supporting a passive active region emergence · 0.80
[ref] have circumvented this somewhat by performing simulations of thin flux tubes embedded within a time-varying 3D convective velocity field (see Sec. [ref]).

Comparing Simulations of Rising Flux Tubes Through the Solar Convection Zone with Observations of Solar Active Regions: Constraining the Dynamo Field Strength · Statistical constraints supporting a passive active region emergence · 0.80

Uses data or values from 1 paper

In a solar-type star rotating eight times faster, the range is in 150-350 kG, so that rotation stabilizes the tubes at a fixed field strength, owing mainly to angular momentum conservation [ref] .

Forward modelling of brightness variations in Sun-like stars I. Emergence and surface transport of magnetic flux · Emergence latitudes and tilts · 0.85

Compares with 4 papers

This is in good agreement with the active region observations of [ref] and [ref] .

Bipolar Magnetic Regions on the Sun: Global Analysis of the SOHO/MDI Data Set · The Flux Tube Paradigm · 0.97
Furthermore, similarly peaked tilt angle distributions are found for the buoyantly rising, dynamo-generated loops from the 3D convective dynamo simulations of [ref] and [ref] .

Buoyant Magnetic Loops Generated by Global Convective Dynamo Action · The Flux Tube Paradigm · 0.85
Furthermore, similarly peaked tilt angle distributions are found for the buoyantly rising, dynamo-generated loops from the 3D convective dynamo simulations of [ref] and [ref] .

A simulation of convective dynamo in the solar convective envelope: maintenance of the solar-like differential rotation and emerging flux · The Flux Tube Paradigm · 0.85

Cites as support 8 papers

In some, cyclic wreaths of magnetism are built amid the magneto-convection without the need for a tachocline [ref] .

Grand Minima and Equatorward Propagation in a Cycling Stellar Convective Dynamo · Formation and Destabilization of Active-Region-Scale Magnetic Structures · 0.99
In some, cyclic wreaths of magnetism are built amid the magneto-convection without the need for a tachocline [ref] .

Magnetic Cycles in a Convective Dynamo Simulation of a Young Solar-type Star · Formation and Destabilization of Active-Region-Scale Magnetic Structures · 0.99
However, it is absolutely clear that convection modulates flux emergence when it is included, provided that the magnetic field is not substantially super-equipartition [ref] .

Three dimensional non-linear evolution of a magnetic flux tube in a spherical shell: Influence of turbulent convection and associated mean flows · The Flux Tube Paradigm · 0.98

Cites as background 10 papers

There have been a number of statistical observational studies [ref] on the formation of active regions, but in this paper we will focus on the observed characteristics that can place direct constraints on the models.

Helioseismology of Pre-Emerging Active Regions I: Overview, Data, and Target Selection Criteria · Statistical constraints supporting a passive active region emergence · 0.89
There have been a number of statistical observational studies [ref] on the formation of active regions, but in this paper we will focus on the observed characteristics that can place direct constraints on the models.

Helioseismology of Pre-Emerging Active Regions III: Statistical Analysis · Statistical constraints supporting a passive active region emergence · 0.89
There have been a number of statistical observational studies [ref] on the formation of active regions, but in this paper we will focus on the observed characteristics that can place direct constraints on the models.

Helioseismology of Pre-Emerging Active Regions II: Average Emergence Properties · Statistical constraints supporting a passive active region emergence · 0.89

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