Analysis of small scale solar magnetic fields using Hinode SOT/SP

This thesis presents an analysis of small magnetic structures found in the solar photosphere. All the work presented in the following chapters is primarily based on data obtained from the spectropolarimeter aboard the Hinode satellite. The spectropolarimeter provides seeing-free, high spectral resolution (30mA) and spatial (0."32) resolution data of the full Stokes vector of the Zeeman sensitive Fe I line pair at 6300A. Chapter 2 investigates internetwork magnetic fields found on the disc centre of the quiet Sun. These fields are characterized by their predominantly sub-kG strength, their short lifetimes on the order of minutes and the fact that they encompass most of the unsigned magnetic flux on the solar surface, at any time. Many properties of these magnetic fields are still unclear, however, one of which is their origin. It has been, both, proposed and separately demonstrated using magneto-hydrodynamic simulations, that such fields may be produced by local surface dynamo action, which acts independently from the global, active-region producing solar dynamo. Should the majority of the internetwork magnetic fields be produced by a local dynamo then no solar cycle dependence should be seen in them. With the stable and seeing-free data offered by Hinode we have been able to monitor internetwork magnetic fields from November 2006 until May 2012, which is approximately equivalent to half a solar cycle. After taking into account instrumental effects influencing the measurement of the Stokes vector over time, we found no significant variation in, both, horizontally and vertically orientated magnetic fields found in the internetwork. This result supports the local dynamo scenario as the principal source of these fields. Chapters 3 & 4 analyse magnetic fields in plage, which are typically found surrounding sunspots in active regions. Plage is identified easily by intensity enhancements in temperature sensitive spectral lines, or as an accumulation of bright points in the continuum and is composed of kG magnetic fields in the form of thin flux tubes or sheets. Even though the analysis of magnetic fields in plage has an expansive and thorough literature and history, the typical size of flux tubes in the photosphere of only a few 100km challenges even current solar telescopes and, therefore, many question regarding their properties are left unanswered. In this investigation we inverted the Hinode observations using the SPINOR code, thereby reconstructing the solar atmosphere at the time of observation, whilst taking into account the point-spread-function of the telescope and allowing for line-of-sight gradients of the various atmospheric parameters. The inversion was able to confirm many of the previously known properties of these magnetic fields, such as a typical field strength of 1.5kG, typical inclinations of 10^{o}-15^{o} with respect to the surface, and an absence of strong stationary plasma flows, as well as a temperature enhancement within the magnetised region when compared to the quiet Sun in particular in the upper photosphere. In addition, we were able to directly observe the expansion of magnetic features with height and found it to be compatible with a thin flux tube model. The inversion results allowed us to clearly distinguish between fields forming part of a magnetic canopy from those forming the root or core of a feature. Furthermore, we observed that each magnetic feature was surrounded by a ring of strong downflows, typically with speeds of 1-3km/s, but velocities of up to 8km/s were observed in isolated cases. Within these strong downflows we noticed small magnetic patches with pixel averaged field strengths of 100G bearing the opposite polarity of the main magnetic feature, which were effectively hidden beneath stronger canopy fields. The ring of downflows agree well with simulations of the solar photosphere and, in particular, the weak magnetic fields found within them had eluded observational detection so far. Each magnetic feature was also enveloped by a ring of enhanced microturbulent velocities when compared to the quiet Sun, which could hint at unresolved velocity structures or waves at the interface between the magnetic feature and the quiet Sun. The azimuthal orientation of magnetic fields in plage is in general isotropic except when found in proximity to another large magnetic structure, such as a sunspot. Furthermore, the azimuthal orientation of the magnetic fields was found to be height dependent, implying a twist. As part of a follow up investigation several plage regions of different active regions were analysed and a twist was revealed to be present in every active region that was considered. However, the twist failed to show a hemispherical dependence as predicted by Hale's polarity law. Several instrumental effects, such as cross talk between Stokes parameters and uncertainties in the absorption line damping constants employed by the inversion, were tested to ascertain a possible instrumental or inversion-based error as an explanation of the observed twist. So far such a source, which conclusively explains the observed twists has not been found.