R. Volkmer

Probing deep photospheric layers of the quiet Sun with high magnetic sensitivity

Context. Investigations of the magnetism of the quiet Sun are hindered by extremely weak polarization signals in Fraunhofer spectral lines. Photon noise, straylight, and the systematically different sensitivity of the Zeeman effect to longitudinal and transversal magnetic fields result in controversial results in terms of the strength and angular distribution of the magnetic field vector. nAims. The information content of Stokes measurements close to the diffraction limit of the 1.5 m GREGOR telescope is analyzed. We took the effects of spatial straylight and photon noise into account. nMethods. Highly sensitive full Stokes measurements of a quiet-Sun region at disk center in the deep photospheric Fe I lines in the 1.56 {mu}m region were obtained with the infrared spectropolarimeter GRIS at the GREGOR telescope. Noise statistics and Stokes V asymmetries were analyzed and compared to a similar data set of the Hinode spectropolarimeter (SOT/SP). Simple diagnostics based directly on the shape and strength of the profiles were applied to the GRIS data. We made use of the magnetic line ratio technique, which was tested against MHD simulations. nResults. About 80% of the GRIS spectra of a very quiet solar region show polarimetric signals above a 3{sigma} level. Area and amplitude asymmetries agree well with small-scale surface dynamo MHD simulations. The magnetic line ratio analysis reveals ubiquitous magnetic regions in the ten to hundred Gauss range with some concentrations of kilo-Gauss fields. nConclusions. The GRIS spectropolarimetric data at a spatial resolution of 0.40 are so far unique in the combination of high spatial resolution scans and high magnetic field sensitivity. Nevertheless, the unavoidable effect of spatial straylight and the resulting dilution of the weak Stokes profiles means that inversion techniques still bear a high risk of misinterpretating the data.

Deep probing of the photospheric sunspot penumbra: no evidence of field-free gaps

Context. Some models for the topology of the magnetic field in sunspot penumbrae predict regions free of magnetic fields or with only dynamically weak fields in the deep photosphere. Aims. We aim to confirm or refute the existence of weak-field regions in the deepest photospheric layers of the penumbra. Methods. We investigated the magnetic field at logu2009 τ 5 = 0 is by inverting spectropolarimetric data of two different sunspots located very close to disk center with a spatial resolution of approximately 0.4−0.45′′. The data have been recorded using the GRIS instrument attached to the 1.5-m solar telescope GREGOR at the El Teide observatory. The data include three Fe iu2009lines around 1565 nm, whose sensitivity to the magnetic field peaks half a pressure scale height deeper than the sensitivity of the widely used Fe iu2009spectral line pair at 630 nm. Before the inversion, the data were corrected for the effects of scattered light using a deconvolution method with several point spread functions. Results. At logu2009 τ 5 = 0 we find no evidence of regions with dynamically weak ( B < 500 Gauss) magnetic fields in sunspot penumbrae. This result is much more reliable than previous investigations made on Fe iu2009lines at 630 nm. Moreover, the result is independent of the number of nodes employed in the inversion, is independent of the point spread function used to deconvolve the data, and does not depend on the amount of stray light (i.e., wide-angle scattered light) considered.

Three-dimensional structure of a sunspot light bridge

Context. Active regions are the most prominent manifestations of solar magnetic fields; their generation and dissipation are fundamental problems in solar physics. Light bridges are commonly present during sunspot decay, but a comprehensive picture of their role in the removal of the photospheric magnetic field is still lacking. Aims. We study the three-dimensional configuration of a sunspot, and in particular, its light bridge, during one of the last stages of its decay. Methods. We present the magnetic and thermodynamical stratification inferred from full Stokes inversions of the photospheric Siu2009i 10u2009827 A and Cau2009i 10u2009839 A lines obtained with the GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph of the GREGOR telescope at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain. The analysis is complemented by a study of continuum images covering the disk passage of the active region, which are provided by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Results. The sunspot shows a light bridge with penumbral continuum intensity that separates the central umbra from a smaller umbra. We find that in this region the magnetic field lines form a canopy with lower magnetic field strength in the inner part. The photospheric light bridge is dominated by gas pressure (high- β ), as opposed to the surrounding umbra, where the magnetic pressure is higher. A convective flow is observed in the light bridge. This flow is able to bend the magnetic field lines and to produce field reversals. The field lines merge above the light bridge and become as vertical and strong as in the surrounding umbra. We conclude that this occurs because two highly magnetized regions approach each other during the sunspot evolution.

Magnetic fields of opposite polarity in sunspot penumbrae

Context. A significant part of the penumbral magnetic field returns below the surface in the very deep photosphere. For lines in the visible, a large portion of this return field can only be detected indirectly by studying its imprints on strongly asymmetric and three-lobed Stokes V profiles. Infrared lines probe a narrow layer in the very deep photosphere, providing the possibility of directly measuring the orientation of magnetic fields close to the solar surface. nAims. We study the topology of the penumbral magnetic field in the lower photosphere, focusing on regions where it returns below the surface. nMethods. We analyzed 71 spectropolarimetric datasets from Hinode and from the GREGOR infrared spectrograph. We inferred the quality and polarimetric accuracy of the infrared data after applying several reduction steps. Techniques of spectral inversion and forward synthesis were used to test the detection algorithm. We compared the morphology and the fractional penumbral area covered by reversed-polarity and three-lobed Stokes V profiles for sunspots at disk center. We determined the amount of reversed-polarity and three-lobed Stokes V profiles in visible and infrared data of sunspots at various heliocentric angles. From the results, we computed center-to-limb variation curves, which were interpreted in the context of existing penumbral models. nResults. Observations in visible and near-infrared spectral lines yield a significant difference in the penumbral area covered by magnetic fields of opposite polarity. In the infrared, the number of reversed-polarity Stokes V profiles is smaller by a factor of two than in the visible. For three-lobed Stokes V profiles the numbers differ by up to an order of magnitude.

Active region fine structure observed at 0.08 arcsec resolution

Context. The various mechanisms of magneto-convective energy transport determine the structure of sunspots and active regions. Aims. We characterise the appearance of light bridges and other fine-structure details and elaborate on their magneto-convective nature. Methods. We present speckle-reconstructed images taken with the broad-band imager (BBI) at the 1.5 m GREGOR telescope in the 486u2009nm and 589u2009nm bands. We estimate the spatial resolution from the noise characteristics of the image bursts and obtain 0.08″ at 589u2009nm. We describe structure details in individual best images as well as the temporal evolution of selected features. Results. We find branched dark lanes extending along thin (≈1″) light bridges in sunspots at various heliocentric angles. In thick (≳ 2″) light bridges the branches are disconnected from the central lane and have a Y shape with a bright grain toward the umbra. The images reveal that light bridges exist on varying intensity levels and that their small-scale features evolve on timescales of minutes. Faint light bridges show dark lanes outlined by the surrounding bright features. Dark lanes are very common and are also found in the boundary of pores. They have a characteristic width of 0.1″ or smaller. Intergranular dark lanes of that width are seen in active region granulation. Conclusions. We interpret our images in the context of magneto-convective simulations and findings: while central dark lanes in thin light bridges are elevated and associated with a density increase above upflows, the dark lane branches correspond to locations of downflows and are depressed relative to the adjacent bright plasma. Thick light bridges with central dark lanes show no projection effect. They have a flat elevated plateau that falls off steeply at the umbral boundary. There, Y-shaped filaments form as they do in the inner penumbra. This indicates the presence of inclined magnetic fields, meaning that the umbral magnetic field is wrapped around the convective light bridge.

Upper chromospheric magnetic field of a sunspot penumbra: observations of fine structure

The fine-structure of magnetic field of a sunspot penumbra in the upper chromosphere is to be explored and compared to that in the photosphere. High spatial resolution spectropolarimetric observations were recorded with the 1.5-meter GREGOR telescope using the GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph (GRIS). The observed spectral domain includes the upper chromospheric He I triplet at 1083.0 nm and the photospheric Si I 1082.7 nm and Ca I 1083.3 nm spectral lines. The upper chromospheric magnetic field is obtained by inverting the He I triplet assuming a Milne-Eddington type model atmosphere. A height dependent inversion was applied to the Si I 1082.7 nm and Ca I 1083.3 nm lines to obtain the photospheric magnetic field. We find that the inclination of the magnetic field shows variations in the azimuthal direction both in the photosphere, but also in the upper chromosphere. The chromospheric variations remarkably well coincide with the variations in the inclination of the photospheric field and resemble the well-known spine and inter-spine structure in the photospheric layers of penumbrae. The typical peak-to-peak variations in the inclination of the magnetic field in the upper chromosphere is found to be 10-15 degree, i.e., roughly half the variation in the photosphere. In contrast, the magnetic field strength of the observed penumbra does not show variations on small spatial scales in the upper chromosphere. Thanks to the high spatial resolution observations possible with the GREGOR telescope at 1.08 microns, we find that the prominent small-scale fluctuations in the magnetic field inclination, which are a salient part of the property of sunspot penumbral photospheres, also persist in the chromosphere, although at somewhat reduced amplitudes. Such a complex magnetic configuration may facilitate penumbral chromospheric dynamic phenomena, such as penumbral micro-jets or transient bright dots.

Inference of magnetic fields in the very quiet Sun

Context. Over the past 20 yr, the quietest areas of the solar surface have revealed a weak but extremely dynamic magnetism occurring at small scales ( Aims. We present high-precision spectro-polarimetric data with high spatial resolution (0.4′′) of the very quiet Sun at 1.56 μ m obtained with the GREGOR telescope to shed some light on this complex magnetism. Methods. We used inversion techniques in two main approaches. First, we assumed that the observed profiles can be reproduced with a constant magnetic field atmosphere embedded in a field-free medium. Second, we assumed that the resolution element has a substructure with either two constant magnetic atmospheres or a single magnetic atmosphere with gradients of the physical quantities along the optical depth, both coexisting with a global stray-light component. Results. Half of our observed quiet-Sun region is better explained by magnetic substructure within the resolution element. However, we cannot distinguish whether this substructure comes from gradients of the physical parameters along the line of sight or from horizontal gradients (across the surface). In these pixels, a model with two magnetic components is preferred, and we find two distinct magnetic field populations. The population with the larger filling factor has very weak (~150 G) horizontal fields similar to those obtained in previous works. We demonstrate that the field vector of this population is not constrained by the observations, given the spatial resolution and polarimetric accuracy of our data. The topology of the other component with the smaller filling factor is constrained by the observations for field strengths above 250 G: we infer hG fields with inclinations and azimuth values compatible with an isotropic distribution. The filling factors are typically below 30%. We also find that the flux of the two polarities is not balanced. From the other half of the observed quiet-Sun area ~50% are two-lobed Stokes V profiles, meaning that 23% of the field of view can be adequately explained with a single constant magnetic field embedded in a non-magnetic atmosphere. The magnetic field vector and filling factor are reliable inferred in only 50% based on the regular profiles. Therefore, 12% of the field of view harbour hG fields with filling factors typically below 30%. At our present spatial resolution, 70% of the pixels apparently are non-magnetised.

A retrospective of the GREGOR solar telescope in scientific literature

In this review, we look back upon the literature, which had the GREGOR solar telescope project as its subject including science cases, telescope subsystems, and post-focus instruments. The articles date back to the year 2000, when the initial concepts for a new solar telescope on Tenerife were first presented at scientific meetings. This comprehensive bibliography contains literature until the year 2012, i.e., the final stages of commissioning and science verification. Taking stock of the various publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings also provides the “historical” context for the reference articles in this special issue of Astronomische Nachrichten/Astronomical Notes (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Horizontal flow fields in and around a small active region - The transition period between flux emergence and decay

Aims. Combining high-resolution and synoptic observations aims to provide a comprehensive description of flux emergence at photospheric level and of the growth process that eventually leads to a mature active region. Methods. Small active region NOAA 12118 was observed on 2014 July 18 with the 1.5-meter GREGOR solar telescope on 2014 July 18. High-resolution time-series of blue continuum and G-band images acquired in the blue imaging channel (BIC) of the GREGOR Fabry-Perot Interferometer (GFPI) were complemented by LOS magnetograms and continuum images obtained with the HMI onboard the SDO. Horizontal proper motions and horizontal plasma velocities were computed with local correlation tracking (LCT) and the differential affine velocity estimator, respectively. Morphological image processing was employed to measure the photometric/magnetic area, magnetic flux, and the separation profile of the EFR during its evolution. Results. The computed growth rates for photometric area, magnetic area, and magnetic flux are about twice as high as the respective decay rates. The space-time diagram using HMI magnetograms of five days traces a leaf-like structure, which is determined by the initial separation of the two polarities, a rapid expansion phase, a time when the spread stalls, and a period when the region slowly shrinks again. The separation rate of 0.26 kms is highest in the initial stage, and it decreases when the separation comes to a halt. Horizontal plasma velocities computed at four evolutionary stages indicate a changing pattern of inflows. In LCT maps we find persistent flow patterns such as outward motions in the outer part of the two major pores, a diverging feature near the trailing pore marking the site of upwelling plasma and flux emergence, and low velocities in the interior of pores. We detected many elongated rapidly expanding granules between the two major polarities.

Slipping reconnection in a solar flare observed in high resolution with the GREGOR solar telescope

A small flare ribbon above a sunspot umbra in active region 12205 was observed on November 7, 2014, at 12:00 UT in the blue imaging channel of the 1.5 m GREGOR telescope, using a 1 A Ca II H interference filter. Context observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) onboard Hinode, and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) show that this ribbon is part of a larger one that extends through the neighboring positive polarities and also participates in several other flares within the active region. We reconstructed a time series of 140 seconds of Ca II H images by means of the multiframe blind deconvolution method, which resulted in spatial and temporal resolutions of 0.1 arcsec and 1 s. Light curves and horizontal velocities of small-scale bright knots in the observed flare ribbon were measured. Some knots are stationary, but three move along the ribbon with speeds of 7-11 km/s. Two of them move in the opposite direction and exhibit highly correlated intensity changes, which provides evidence of a slipping reconnection at small spatial scales.