Numerical simulation of solar convection

Color rendering of the temperature perturbation on the surface layer of a global magnetohydrodynamical simulation of solar convection. Lighter shading indicates hotter fluid than the average at that depth, and darker shading colder fluid. The structuring of the convective flow as broad cells of hot, upwelling fluid surrounded by narrow downflows of cold fluid is typical of thermal convection in an environment stratified by gravity. This is a moderate resolution simulation, computed on a spatial mesh of size 256 x 128 x 97 in longitude x latitude x radius. The outer spherical layer of the simulation has a radius equal to 96% of the sun's.

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For more information:

EULAG-MHD simulation page
Ghizaru, M., Charbonneau, P., et Smolarkiewicz, P.K., Magnetic cycles in a large eddy simulation of solar convection, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 715, L133-L137; on ADS
Racine, E., Charbonneau, P., Ghizaru, M., Bouchat, A., et Smolarkiewicz, P.K., On the mode of dynamo action in a global large-eddy simulation of solar convection, The Astrophysical Journal, 735, id46; on ADS