B. Lemmerer, A. Hanslmeier, T. Zaqarashvili, A. Veronig, H. Muthsam

Small granules that do not originate from the fragmentation process of regular sized granular cells and evolve on a considerably shorter timescale populate the intergranular lanes. They are found in high-resolution observational and hydrodynamic simulation data of the quiet sun's photosphere. We study their topology and dynamics based on a segmentation algorithm. The flow field suggests that they represent high-vortical jet-like structures that are found to differentially rotate about their center axis. Their associated high horizontal kinetic energy flux exceeds that of regular granules and may excite significant Poynting flux through MHD kink waves and torsional Alfven waves that would be high enough to effectively heat the chromosphere and corona if only 10% of the wave energy is assumed to be dissipated into heat.