Tracing the evolution of radiation-MHD simulations of solar and stellar atmospheres in the Lagrangian frame
Context: Radiation-MHD simulations have become a standard tool to investigate the physics of solar and stellar atmospheres. Aims: The aim of this paper to present a method that allows efficient and accurate analysis of flows in such simulations in the Lagrangian frame. Methods: This paper presents a method that allows the construction of pathlines given a seed point that can be chosen freely at any location and at any time during the simulation where the simulation state is stored. The method is based on passive tracer particles. Through injection of particles in expanding regions the occurrence of particle-free volumes is avoided, even in the case of strongly compressive flows. Results:The method was implemented in the solar and stellar atmosphere simulation code Bifrost. It is efficient and accurate. As examples I present an analysis of a gas parcel in the convection zone and a particle in the solar transition region.}