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Title: UNRESOLVED MIXED POLARITY MAGNETIC FIELDS AT FLUX CANCELLATION SITE IN SOLAR PHOTOSPHERE AT 0.''3 SPATIAL RESOLUTION

Abstract

This is a follow-up investigation of a magnetic flux cancellation event at a polarity inversion line (PIL) on the Sun observed with the spectropolarimeter on board Hinode. Anomalous circular polarization (Stokes V) profiles are observed in the photosphere along the PIL at the cancellation sites. Kubo et al. previously reported that the theoretically expected horizontal fields between the canceling opposite-polarity magnetic elements in this event are not detected at granular scales. We show that the observed anomalous Stokes V profiles are reproduced successfully by adding the nearly symmetric Stokes V profiles observed at pixels immediately adjacent to the PIL. This result suggests that these observed anomalous Stokes V profiles are not indications of a flux removal process, but are the result of either a mixture of unresolved, opposite-polarity magnetic elements or the unresolved width of the PIL, at an estimated resolution element of about 0.''3. The hitherto undetected flux removal process accounting for the larger-scale disappearance of magnetic flux during the observing period is likely to also fall below resolution.

Authors:
 [1];
  1. National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22365003
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 793; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; MAGNETIC FIELDS; MAGNETIC FLUX; PHOTOSPHERE; POLARIMETRY; POLARIZATION; SPATIAL RESOLUTION; SUN; SYMMETRY

Citation Formats

Kubo, Masahito, Low, Boon Chye, and Lites, Bruce W, E-mail: masahito.kubo@nao.ac.jp. UNRESOLVED MIXED POLARITY MAGNETIC FIELDS AT FLUX CANCELLATION SITE IN SOLAR PHOTOSPHERE AT 0.''3 SPATIAL RESOLUTION. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/793/1/L9.
Kubo, Masahito, Low, Boon Chye, & Lites, Bruce W, E-mail: masahito.kubo@nao.ac.jp. UNRESOLVED MIXED POLARITY MAGNETIC FIELDS AT FLUX CANCELLATION SITE IN SOLAR PHOTOSPHERE AT 0.''3 SPATIAL RESOLUTION. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/793/1/L9
Kubo, Masahito, Low, Boon Chye, and Lites, Bruce W, E-mail: masahito.kubo@nao.ac.jp. 2014. "UNRESOLVED MIXED POLARITY MAGNETIC FIELDS AT FLUX CANCELLATION SITE IN SOLAR PHOTOSPHERE AT 0.''3 SPATIAL RESOLUTION". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/793/1/L9.
@article{osti_22365003,
title = {UNRESOLVED MIXED POLARITY MAGNETIC FIELDS AT FLUX CANCELLATION SITE IN SOLAR PHOTOSPHERE AT 0.''3 SPATIAL RESOLUTION},
author = {Kubo, Masahito and Low, Boon Chye and Lites, Bruce W, E-mail: masahito.kubo@nao.ac.jp},
abstractNote = {This is a follow-up investigation of a magnetic flux cancellation event at a polarity inversion line (PIL) on the Sun observed with the spectropolarimeter on board Hinode. Anomalous circular polarization (Stokes V) profiles are observed in the photosphere along the PIL at the cancellation sites. Kubo et al. previously reported that the theoretically expected horizontal fields between the canceling opposite-polarity magnetic elements in this event are not detected at granular scales. We show that the observed anomalous Stokes V profiles are reproduced successfully by adding the nearly symmetric Stokes V profiles observed at pixels immediately adjacent to the PIL. This result suggests that these observed anomalous Stokes V profiles are not indications of a flux removal process, but are the result of either a mixture of unresolved, opposite-polarity magnetic elements or the unresolved width of the PIL, at an estimated resolution element of about 0.''3. The hitherto undetected flux removal process accounting for the larger-scale disappearance of magnetic flux during the observing period is likely to also fall below resolution.},
doi = {10.1088/2041-8205/793/1/L9},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22365003}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},
issn = {2041-8205},
number = 1,
volume = 793,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Sat Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}