Quiet sun magnetic field diagnostics with a Mn line

¹ THEMIS, CNRS-UPS 853, C/ vía Láctea s/n, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain e-mail: arturo@themis.iac.es
² High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

Received: 7 December 2005
Accepted: 6 March 2006

Abstract

Context.The Mn line at 553 nm shows strong spectral features in both intensity and polarization profiles due to the hyperfine structure of the atom. These features, their presence or absence, are known to be dependent on the magnetic regime to which the Mn atom is subject.

Aims.Our objective is to disentangle strong kilo-Gauss (kG) fields from relatively weak hecto-Gauss (hG) fields in the quiet sun, and compute relative filling factors on the resolution element.

Methods.We observed the 553 nm Mn line in a quiet sun area with the Advanced Stokes Polarimeter, and we introduce an in-line ratio between different spectral features. Filling factors can be retrieved from the measurement of this ratio and the total longitudinal flux.

Results.In the photospheric network the kG dominate the magnetic flux, although out of the higher concentration areas the hG fields dominate in surface coverage. For the internetwork (granules and lanes confounded) the hG are dominant both in surface and total flux.