Bibcode
Shiota, D.; Tsuneta, S.; Shimojo, M.; Sako, N.; Orozco-Suárez, D.; Ishikawa, R.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 753, Issue 2, article id. 157 (2012).
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2012
Journal
Citations
76
Refereed citations
67
Description
We have been monitoring yearly variation in the Sun's polar magnetic
fields with the Solar Optical Telescope aboard Hinode to record their
evolution and expected reversal near the solar maximum. All magnetic
patches in the magnetic flux maps are automatically identified to obtain
the number density and magnetic flux density as a function of the total
magnetic flux per patch. The detected magnetic flux per patch ranges
over four orders of magnitude (1015-1020 Mx). The
higher end of the magnetic flux in the polar regions is about one order
of magnitude larger than that of the quiet Sun, and nearly that of
pores. Almost all large patches (>=1018 Mx) have the same
polarity, while smaller patches have a fair balance of both polarities.
The polarity of the polar region as a whole is consequently determined
only by the large magnetic concentrations. A clear decrease in the net
flux of the polar region is detected in the slow rising phase of the
current solar cycle. The decrease is more rapid in the north polar
region than in the south. The decrease in the net flux is caused by a
decrease in the number and size of the large flux concentrations as well
as the appearance of patches with opposite polarity at lower latitudes.
In contrast, we do not see temporal change in the magnetic flux
associated with the smaller patches (<1018 Mx) and that of
the horizontal magnetic fields during the years 2008-2012.
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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