Sunspot Structure

TL;DR

This paper reviews a decade of Hinode satellite observations that advanced understanding of the fine-scale structures, formation, evolution, and decay of sunspots, highlighting key discoveries and future research directions.

Contribution

It summarizes Hinode's contributions to sunspot structure research, providing new insights into small-scale features and their dynamics that were previously unresolved.

Findings

Enhanced understanding of sunspot fine structures.

Identification of processes involved in sunspot formation and decay.

Advancements in high-resolution solar imaging techniques.

Abstract

Sunspots contain multiple small-scale structures in the umbra and in the penumbra. Despite extensive research on this subject in pre-Hinode era multiple questions concerning fine-scale structures of sunspots, their formation, evolution and decay remained open. Several of those questions were proposed to be pursued by Hinode (SOT). Here we review some of the achievements on understanding sunspot structure by Hinode in its first 10 years of successful operation. After giving a brief summary and updates on the most recent understanding of sunspot structures, and describing contributions of Hinode to that, we also discuss future directions. This is a section (\#7.1) of a long review article on the achievements of Hinode in the first 10 years.