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J. Sanchez Almeida

Publications and source records attributed to J. Sanchez Almeida.

58 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Inter-Network magnetic fields observed with sub-arcsec resolution

We analyze a time sequence of Inter-Network (IN) magnetograms observed at the solar disk center. Speckle reconstruction techniques provide a good spatial resolution (0.5" cutoff frequency) yet maintaining a fair sensitivity (some 20G). Patches with signal above noise cover 60% of the observed area, most of which corresponds to intergranular lanes. The large surface covered by signal renders a mean unsigned magnetic flux density between 17G and 21G (1G \equiv 1Mx cm$^{-2}$). The difference depends on the spectral line used to generate the magnetograms (Fe I 6302 or Fe I 6301). Such systematic difference can be understood if the magnetic structures producing the polarization have intrinsic field strengths exceeding 1 kG, and consequently, occupying only a very small fraction of the surface (some 2%). We observe both, magnetic signals changing in time scales smaller than 1 min, and a persistent pattern lasting longer than the duration of the sequence (17 min). The pattern resembles a network with a spatial scale between 5 and 10 arcsec, which we identify as the mesogranulation. The strong dependence of the polarization signals on spatial resolution and sensitivity suggests that much quiet Sun magnetic flux still remains undetected.

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Quiet Sun magnetic fields at high spatial resolution

We present spectro-polarimetric observations of Inter-Network magnetic fields at the solar disk center. A Fabry-Perot spectrometer was used to scan the two Fe I lines at 6301.5 A and 6302.5 A. High spatial resolution (0.5") magnetograms were obtained after speckle reconstruction. The patches with magnetic fields above noise cover approximately 45% of the observed area. Such large coverage renders a mean unsigned magnetic flux density of some 20 G (or 20 Mx/cm^2), which exceeds all previous measurements. Magnetic signals occur predominantly in intergranular spaces. The systematic difference between the flux densities measured in the two iron lines leads to the conclusion that, typically, we detect structures with intrinsic field strengths larger than 1kG occupying only 2% of the surface.

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Magnetic properties of photospheric regions having very low magnetic flux

The magnetic properties of the quiet Sun are investigated using a novel inversion code, FATIMA, based on the Principal Component Analysis of the observed Stokes profiles. The stability and relatively low noise sensitivity of this inversion procedure allows for the systematic inversion of large data sets with very weak polarization signal. Its application to quiet Sun observations of network and internetwork regions reveals that a significant fraction of the quiet Sun contains kilogauss fields (usually with very small filling factors) and confirms that the pixels with weak polarization account for most of the magnetic flux. Mixed polarities in the resolution element are also found to occur more likely as the polarization weakens.

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Thermal relaxation of very small solar magnetic structures in intergranules: a process that produces kG magnetic field strengths

The equilibrium configuration of very small magnetic fluxtubes in an intergranular environment automatically produces kG magnetic field strengths. We argue that such process takes place in the Sun and complements the convective collapse (CC), which is traditionally invoked to explain the formation of kG magnetic concentrations in the solar photosphere. In particular, it can concentrate the very weak magnetic fluxes revealed by the new IR spectro-polarimeters, for which the operation of the CC may have difficulty. As part of the argument, we show the existence of solar magnetic features of very weak fluxes yet concentrated magnetic fields (some 3 x 10^{16} Mx and 1500 G).

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