Seething Horizontal Magnetic Fields in the Quiet Solar Photosphere
Abstract
The photospheric magnetic field outside of active regions and the network has a ubiquitous and dynamic line-of-sight component that strengthens from disk center to limb as expected for a nearly horizontal orientation. This component shows a striking time variation with an average temporal rms near the limb of 1.7 G at ~3" resolution. In our moderate-resolution observations the nearly horizontal component has a frequency variation power-law exponent of -1.4 below 1.5 mHz and is spatially patchy on scales up to ~15". The field may be a manifestation of changing magnetic connections between eruptions and evolution of small magnetic flux elements in response to convective motions. It shows no detectable latitude or longitude variations.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- April 2007
- DOI:
- 10.1086/518036
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0702415
- Bibcode:
- 2007ApJ...659L.177H
- Keywords:
-
- Sun: Magnetic Fields;
- Sun: Photosphere;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 7 pages, 6 figures, submitted to ApJ letters, quality of figures significantly degraded here by compression requirements