Small scale magnetic cancellation driven by
supergranular scale flows
H.E.Potts, J.L.Khan, D.A.Diver
We have developed a highly efficient method for tracking solar photospheric
flows from continuum data. We are currently using SOHO MDI continuum data,
tracking the barely resolved granulation pattern. Our method is sufficiently
fast that it will be able to calculate flow fields in real time from Solar-B
BFI continuum data. Coupled with this we have an algorithm that accurately
maps out the boundaries and upwelling points of supergranular convection
cells. Using this flow data, and combining it with MDI magnetograms we can
identify areas when the supergranular flow drives together the smallest
resolvable magnetic elements. If we correlate this data with Yohkoh SXT
soft x-ray images we can see the sites of small scale energy release due to
flow driven magnetic cancellation. The resolution of SXT data however does
not allow the smallest events to be imaged, and there are very few data sets
of quiet sun data where SXT and MDI overlap. With the data from high
resolution vector magnetograms and continuum images from the Solar-B FPP,
combined with soft x-ray images from XRT we should be able much more
accurately evaluate the energy release from these small, quiet sun events.
Correspondence
Hugh Potts (hugh@astro.gla.ac.uk), University Of Glasgow
presentation
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