Development of active regions: flows, magnetic-field patterns and bordering effect

TL;DR

This study analyzes magnetic and velocity fields in a developing sunspot group, finding evidence inconsistent with the rising-tube model and suggesting alternative magnetic field structures.

Contribution

It provides observational evidence challenging the rising-tube model for active region development using detailed vector magnetic field data.

Findings

Vertical and horizontal magnetic fields are spatially correlated.

The bordering effect indicates a fountainlike magnetic structure.

No large-scale upflows support the rising-tube emergence hypothesis.

Abstract

A qualitative analysis is given to the data on the full magnetic and velocity vector fields in a growing sunspot group, recorded nearly simultaneously with the Solar Optical Telescope on the Hinode satellite. Observations of a young bipolar subregion developing within AR 11313 were carried out on 9-10 October 2011. Our aim was to form am idea about the consistency of the observed pattern with the well-known rising-tube model of the formation of bipolar acrive regions and sunspot groups. We find from our magnetograms that the distributions of the vertical [B_v] and the horizontal [B_h] component of the magnetic field over the area of the magnetic subregion are spatially well correlated; in contrast, the rise of a flux-tube loop would result in a qualitatively different pattern, with the maxima of the two magnetic-field components spatially separated: the vertical field would be the strongest where either spot emerges, while the maximum horizontal-field strengths would be reached in between them. A specific feature, which we call the bordering effect, is revealed: some local extrema of B_v are bordered with areas of locally enhanced B_h. This effect suggests a fountainlike spatial structure of the magnetic field near the B_v extrema, which is also hardly compatible with the emergence of a flux-tube loop. The vertical-velocity field in the area of the developing active subregion does not exhibit any upflow on the scale of the whole subregion, which should be related to the rising-tube process. Thus, our observational data can hardly be interpreted in the framework of the rising-tube model.