Bibcode
DOI
Lites, B. W.; Kubo, M.; Socas-Navarro, H.; Berger, T.; Frank, Z.; Shine, R.; Tarbell, T.; Title, A.; Ichimoto, K.; Katsukawa, Y.; Tsuneta, S.; Suematsu, Y.; Shimizu, T.; Nagata, S.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 672, Issue 2, pp. 1237-1253.
Advertised on:
1
2008
Journal
Citations
409
Refereed citations
317
Description
Observations of very quiet Sun using the Solar Optical
Telescope/Spectro-Polarimeter (SOT/SP) aboard the Hinode spacecraft
reveal that the quiet internetwork regions are pervaded by horizontal
magnetic flux. The spatial average horizontal apparent flux density
derived from wavelength-integrated measures of Zeeman-induced linear
polarization is BTapp=55 Mx cm-2, as
compared to the corresponding average vertical apparent flux density of
|BLapp|=11 Mx cm-2. Distributions of
apparent flux density are presented. Magnetic fields are organized on
mesogranular scales, with both horizontal and vertical fields showing
``voids'' of reduced flux density of a few granules spatial extent. The
vertical fields are concentrated in the intergranular lanes, whereas the
stronger horizontal fields are somewhat separated spatially from the
vertical fields and occur most commonly at the edges of the bright
granules. High-S/N observations from disk center to the limb help to
constrain possible causes of the apparent imbalance between
|BLapp| and BTapp, with
unresolved structures of linear dimension on the surface smaller by at
least a factor of 2 relative to the SOT/SP angular resolution being one
likely cause of this discrepancy. Other scenarios for explaining this
imbalance are discussed. The horizontal fields are likely the source of
the ``seething'' fields of the quiet Sun discovered by Harvey et al. The
horizontal fields may also contribute to the ``hidden'' turbulent flux
suggested by studies involving Hanle effect depolarization of scattered
radiation.
Related projects
Magnetism, Polarization and Radiative Transfer in Astrophysics
Magnetic fields pervade all astrophysical plasmas and govern most of the variability in the Universe at intermediate time scales. They are present in stars across the whole Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, in galaxies, and even perhaps in the intergalactic medium. Polarized light provides the most reliable source of information at our disposal for the
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