Super-strong Magnetic Field in Sunspots

TL;DR

This paper reports the observation of the strongest magnetic field ever detected in a sunspot, located outside the umbra, and proposes a formation mechanism involving compression from horizontal flows between umbrae.

Contribution

It provides the first clear evidence of a 6,250 G magnetic field outside the umbra in a sunspot and suggests a novel formation process involving compression by horizontal flows.

Findings

Detected the strongest magnetic field in a sunspot at 6,250 G.

Identified the field as almost parallel to the solar surface in a bright region.

Proposed a formation mechanism involving compression from horizontal flows.

Abstract

Sunspots are the most notable structure on the solar surface with strong magnetic fields. The field is generally strongest in a dark area (umbra), but sometimes stronger fields are found in non-dark regions such as a penumbra and a light bridge. The formation mechanism of such strong fields outside umbrae is still puzzling. Here we report clear evidence of the magnetic field of 6,250 G, which is the strongest field among Stokes I profiles with clear Zeeman splitting ever observed on the Sun. The field was almost parallel to the solar surface and located in a bright region sandwiched by two opposite-polarity umbrae. Using a time series of spectral datasets, we discussed the formation process of the super-strong field and suggested that this strong field region was generated as a result of compression of one umbra pushed by the horizontal flow from the other umbra, like the subduction of the Earth's crust in plate tectonics.