Deep Convection and the Solar Chromosphere

The manifestation of convection in deep layers of the Sun has been found in the dynamics of solar surface activity (Arkhypov, Antonov, and Khodachenko in Solar Phys. 270, 1, 2011). Some chromospheric phenomena could be connected with deep convection, too. We justify this hypothesis with sunspot, Ca ii, H alpha, and millimeter-wave radio data. It is argued that large-scale (20 to 25 deg) bright regions in the chromosphere, surrounded by dark halos with diameters of 40A degrees to 50A degrees, can be manifestations of giant convection cells. The ascending and descending flows in such cells modulate the emergence of magnetic tubes generating the high-temperature regions and low-temperature halo in the chromosphere. Our estimates of the rotation rate of such features confirm their association with deep (a parts per thousand(3)aEuro parts per thousand 35 Mm) layers of the solar convection zone.