UNNOTICED MAGNETIC FIELD OSCILLATIONS IN THE VERY QUIET SUN REVEALED BY SUNRISE/IMaX

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/730/2/L37· OSTI ID:21560405

Martinez Gonzalez, M J; Asensio Ramos, A; Manso Sainz, R; Khomenko, E; MartInez Pillet, V ^[1]; Solanki, S K; Barthol, P; Gandorfer, A ^[2]; Lopez Ariste, A ^[3]; Schmidt, W ^[4]

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1. Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, C/VIa Lactea s/n, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)
2. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Sonnensystemforschung, 37191, Katlenburg-Lindau (Germany)
3. THEMIS-CNRS UPS 853, C/VIa Lactea s/n 38205, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)
4. Kiepenheuer-Institut fuer Sonnenphysik, Schoeneckstr. 6, 79104 Freiburg (Germany)

We present observational evidence for oscillations of magnetic flux density in the quiet areas of the Sun. The majority of magnetic fields on the solar surface have strengths of the order of or lower than the equipartition field (300-500 G). This results in a myriad of magnetic fields whose evolution is largely determined by the turbulent plasma motions. When granules evolve they squash the magnetic field lines together or pull them apart. Here, we report on the periodic deformation of the shapes of features in circular polarization observed at high resolution with SUNRISE. In particular, we note that the area of patches with a constant magnetic flux oscillates with time, which implies that the apparent magnetic field intensity oscillates in antiphase. The periods associated with this oscillatory pattern are compatible with the granular lifetime and change abruptly, which suggests that these oscillations might not correspond to characteristic oscillatory modes of magnetic structures, but to the forcing by granular motions. In one particular case, we find three patches around the same granule oscillating in phase, which means that the spatial coherence of these oscillations can reach 1600 km. Interestingly, the same kind of oscillatory phenomenon is also found in the upper photosphere.

• OSTI ID: 21560405
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 730, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/730/2/L37; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
DEFORMATION
FLUX DENSITY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FLUX
OSCILLATIONS
PHOTOSPHERE
POLARIZATION
SUN
ATMOSPHERES
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
STARS
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES