Observational constraints on a `hidden', turbulent magnetic field of the Sun

Physics

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Scientific paper

A search for linear polarization due to the transverse Zeeman effect in quiet regions near the heliographic north pole has been carried out. The aim is to determine new constraints on the properties of the ‘hidden’ or ‘turbulent’ magnetic flux of the Sun. As more than 90% of the total flux seen in magnetograms has its source in kG fluxtubes with an average filling factor of less than 1%, the term ‘hidden’ magnetic flux refers to the field in the remaining 99% of the photospheric volume, which remains undetected in ordinary magnetograms (at available levels of spatial resolution and sensitivity). Simultaneous recordings of the Stokes I, Q, and V profiles of the Fe i 5250.22 and 5247.06 Å lines with 5 × 5 sec of arc spatial resolution have been made with the NSO McMath solar telescope. The analysis shows how the observed Stokes Q amplitudes, as well as the Q/V ratio in combination with the 5250/5247 Stokes V line ratio, provide constraints on the field strength and the angular distribution of the field vectors of the ‘hidden’ magnetic flux. The field has to be tangled with opposite polarities mixed on a subarcsec scale, and the field vectors have to have large inclinations with respect to the vertical direction, with an angular distribution not far from being isotropic in the photosphere. Constraints on the strength of this tangled or ‘turbulent’ magnetic field have been obtained by previous methods, which are reconsidered in view of their dependence on the assumed angular distribution. An upper limit of 100 G comes from determinations of magnetic line broadening, a lower limit of 10 G from observed Hanle-effect depolarization. In our observations the linear polarization has been recorded with a precision of 10-4 with good spectral resolution. Further improvements are impeded by the lack of telescopes with large photon collecting areas and small instrumental polarization.

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