Interaction between Granulation and Small-Scale Magnetic Flux Observed by Hinode

TL;DR

This study investigates the dynamic interaction between granular convection and small-scale magnetic flux in the quiet Sun, revealing how magnetic flux emergence, cancellation, and granular motion influence each other’s evolution.

Contribution

It provides detailed observational evidence of the bidirectional influence between granules and magnetic flux, highlighting the role of magnetic reconnection and flux advection.

Findings

Granules develop symmetrically without flux emergence.

Flux emergence occurs during granule breakup.

Magnetic flux cancellation correlates with granule disappearance.

Abstract

We study the relationship between granular development and magnetic field evolution in the quiet Sun. 6 typical cases are displayed to exhibit interaction between granules and magnetic elements, and we have obtained the following results. (1) A granule develops centrosymmetrically when no magnetic flux emerges within the granular cell. (2) A granule develops and splits noncentrosymmetrically while flux emerges at an outer part of the granular cell. (3) Magnetic flux emergence as a cluster of mixed polarities is detected at the position of a granule as soon as the granule breaks up. (4) A dipole emerges accompanying with the development of a granule, and the two elements of the dipole root in the adjacent intergranular lanes and face each other across the granule. Advected by the horizontal granular motion, the positive element of the dipole then cancels with pre-existing negative flux. (5) Flux cancellation also takes place between a positive element, which is advected by granular flow, and its surrounding negative flux. (6) While magnetic flux cancellation takes place at a granular cell, the granule shrinks and then disappears. (7) Horizontal magnetic fields enhance at the places where dipoles emerge and where opposite polarities cancel with each other, but only the horizontal fields between the dipolar elements point orderly from the positive element to the negative one. Our results reveal that granules and small-scale magnetic flux influence each other. Granular flow advects magnetic flux, and magnetic flux evolution suppresses granular development. There exist extremely large Doppler blue-shifts at the site of one cancelling magnetic element. This phenomenon may be caused by the upward flow produced by magnetic reconnection below the photosphere.