The role and contribution of magnetic fields, characterized via their magnetic flux, to the statistical structuring of the solar atmosphere

TL;DR

This paper investigates how magnetic fields, characterized by magnetic flux, influence the statistical structuring of the solar atmosphere, revealing patterns like the butterfly body and their relation to solar cycle phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of the butterfly body in the 3D solar atmosphere and analyzes the relationship between magnetic flux and atmospheric structuring over the solar cycle.

Findings

Discovery of a hot butterfly-like pattern in the chromosphere and corona.

Polar brightening varies in anti-phase and in-phase with the solar cycle across different layers.

Magnetic flux strength correlates with the statistical structuring of the solar atmosphere.

Abstract

The anomalous heating of the solar upper atmosphere is one of the eight key problems in modern astronomy. Moreover, the stratification of the solar atmosphere is an outstanding key-problem in solar physics. In this study, a hot butterfly-like pattern is found to run through the chromosphere to the corona lying right on top of the magnetic butterfly pattern of sunspots in the photosphere. We thus propose to introduce the term butterfly body to describe the butterfly diagram in the 3-dimensional atmosphere. Besides, we discuss the so-called polar brightening in different layers. It is found to be statistically in anti-phase with the solar cycle in the photosphere and the chromosphere, while in phase with the solar cycle in the corona. Accordingly, we describe the role and relationship of solar magnetic elements of different magnetic flux strengths to explain the statistical structuring of the solar atmosphere with the butterfly body over the solar cycle.