Mapping the hidden magnetic field of the quiet Sun


Abstract in English

The Sun is the only star where we can resolve the intricate magnetism that all convective stars harbor. Yet, more than 99% of its visible surface along the solar cycle (the so-called quiet Sun) is filled with a tangled, unresolved magnetism. These hidden fields are thought to store enough magnetic energy to play a role in the heating of the Suns outer atmosphere, but its field strength is still not constrained. Previous investigations based on the Hanle effect in atomic lines claim a strong magnetization of about 100 G, while the same effect in molecules show a factor of 10 weaker fields. The discrepancy disappears if the magnetic field strength of the hidden is not homogeneous in the solar surface. In this letter, we prove using magnetohydrodynamical simulations that it is possible to infer the average field strength of the hidden quiet Sun magnetic fields using multi-line

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