Highest resolution observations of the quietest sun

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2010

Abstract

Highest resolution observations made with the new 1.6 m aperture solar telescope in Big Bear Solar Observatory during this time of historic inactivity on the Sun reveal new insights into the small-scale dynamics of the Sun's photosphere. The telescope's unprecedented resolution enabled us to observe that the smallest scale photospheric magnetic field seems to come in isolated points in the dark intergranular lanes, rather than the predicted continuous sheets confined to the lanes, and the unexpected longevity of the bright points implies a deeper anchoring than predicted. Further, we demonstrated for the first time that the photospheric plasma motion and magnetic fields are in equipartition over a wide dynamic range, and both cascade energy to ever-smaller scales according to classical Kolmogorov turbulence theory. Finally, we discovered tiny jet-like features originating in the dark lanes that surround the ubiquitous granules that characterize the solar surface. © 2010. The American Astronomical Society.

Identifier

77951005206 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal Letters

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/714/1/L31

e-ISSN

20418213

ISSN

20418205

First Page

L31

Last Page

L35

Issue

1 PART 2

Volume

714

Grant

0847126

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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