The structure of a penumbral connection between solar pores

¹ Institut für Physik, IGAM, Universitätsplatz 5, 8010 Graz, Austria
² Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany e-mail: hirzberger@mps.mpg.de
³ Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 25165 Ondřejov, Czech Republic
⁴ Universitäts-Sternwarte, Geismarlandstraße 11, 37083 Göttingen, Germany

Received: 18 April 2005
Accepted: 17 June 2005

Abstract

High resolution 2D-spectro-polarimetric observations have been used to analyse the magnetic field and flow topologies of a penumbral connection between two opposite polarity solar pores. A filamentary structured Evershed-like material flow from one pore to the other along the magnetic field lines has been detected. The flow channels are co-spatial with bright penumbral filaments close to the pore which feeds the flow and the clear brightness-velocity relation vanishes close to the pore which represents the sink of the flow. The boundary between umbra and penumbra of the two pores show significant differences: bright comet-like penumbral grains represent endings of penumbral filaments at the flow sources whereas no such grains were found at the sinks of the flow. Furthermore, a systematic variation of the asymmetries of measured Stokes V profiles across the penumbral connection have been found. The obtained results are in accordance with the widely-accepted uncombed penumbra hypothesis and the moving flux tube model.