Evidence for Magnetoconvection in Sunspot Umbral Dots

Abstract

An analysis of high-resolution Dopplergrams and continuum images of NOAA AR 8350 is presented. The observations were recorded with the universal birefringent filter attached to the Dunn Solar Telescope at the National Solar Observatory, Sunspot, New Mexico. We find upward velocity of the order of 400 m s-1 within umbral dots, surrounded by downward velocity of the order of 300 m s-1. This observation is compatible with the simulations of three-dimensional radiative magnetoconvection with gray radiative transfer in sunspot umbra by Schüssler & Vögler, which support the idea that umbral dots appear as a result of magnetoconvection.