Estimating the longitudinal magnetic field in the chromosphere of quiet-Sun magnetic concentrations^⋆

¹ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, C/ Vía Láctea, s/n, 38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
e-mail: sesteban@iac.es
² Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
³ Institute for Solar Physics, Dept. of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Centre, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
⁴ Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain

Received: 22 October 2022
Accepted: 22 January 2023

Abstract

Context. Details of the magnetic field in the quiet-Sun chromosphere are key to our understanding of essential aspects of the solar atmosphere. However, the strength and orientation of this magnetic field have not been thoroughly studied at high spatial resolution.

Aims. We aim to determine the longitudinal magnetic field component (B_∥) of quiet-Sun regions depending on their size.

Methods. We estimated B_∥ by applying the weak-field approximation to high-spatial-resolution Ca II 854.2 nm data taken with the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope. Specifically, we analyzed the estimates inferred for different spectral ranges using the data at the original cadence and temporally integrated signals.

Results. The longitudinal magnetic field in each considered plasma structure correlates with its size. Using a spectral range restricted to the line core leads to chromospheric longitudinal fields varying from ∼50 G at the edges to 150–500 G at the center of the structure. These values increase as the spectral range widens due to the photospheric contribution. However, the difference between this contribution and the chromospheric one is not uniform for all structures. Small and medium-sized concentrations show a steeper height gradient in B_∥ compared to their chromospheric values, so estimates for wider ranges are less trustworthy. Signal addition does not alleviate this situation as the height gradients in B_∥ are consistent with time. Finally, despite the amplified noise levels that deconvolving processes may cause, data restored with the destretching technique show similar results, though are affected by smearing.

Conclusions. We obtained B_∥ estimates similar to those previously found, except for large concentrations and wide spectral ranges. In addition, we report a correlation between the height variation of B_∥ compared to the chromospheric estimates and the concentration size. This correlation affects the difference between the photospheric and chromospheric magnetic flux values and the reliability of the estimates for wider spectral ranges.