On the Relation between Photospheric Flow Fields and the Magnetic Field Distribution on the Solar Surface
Abstract
Using the technique of local correlation tracking on a 28 minute time sequence of white-light images of solar granulation, we have measured the horizontal flow field on the solar surface. The time series was obtained by the Solar Optical Universal Polarimeter (SOUP) on Spacelab 2 (Space Shuttle flight 51-F) and is free from atmospheric blurring and distortion. The SOUP flow fields have been compared with carefully aligned magnetograms taken over a nine hour period at the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) before, during, and after the SOUP images. The flow field and the magnetic field agree in considerable detail: vectors which define the flow of the white-light intensity pattern (granulation) point toward magnetic field regions, magnetic fields surround flow cells, and magnetic features move along the flow arrows. The projected locations of free particles in the measured flow field congregate at the same locations where the magnetic field is observed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 15, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA282019
Entities
People
- A. M. Title
- George W. Simon
- H. Zirin
- K. P. Topka
- R. A. Shine
- S. H. Ferguson
- T. D. Tarbell
Organizations
- Phillips Laboratory