Quiet Sun magnetic fields from space-borne observations: simulating Hinode's case

Abstract

We examine whether or not it is possible to derive the field strength distribution of quiet Sun internetwork regions from very high spatial resolution polarimetric observations in the visible. In particular, we consider the case of the spectropolarimeter attached to the Solar Optical Telescope aboard Hinode. Radiative magneto-convection simulations are used to synthesize the four Stokes profiles of the \ion{Fe}{1} 630.2 nm lines. Once the profiles are degraded to a spatial resolution of 0\farcs32 and added noise, we infer the atmospheric parameters by means of Milne-Eddington inversions. The comparison of the derived values with the real ones indicates that the visible lines yield correct internetwork field strengths and magnetic fluxes, with uncertainties smaller than $\sim$150 G, when a stray light contamination factor is included in the inversion. Contrary to the results of ground-based observations at 1\arcsec, weak fields are retrieved wherever the field is weak in the simulation.

Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Quiet Sun internetwork magnetic fields from the inversion of Hinode measurements
• The intensity contrast of solar granulation: comparing Hinode SP results with MHD simulations
• Strong horizontal photospheric magnetic field in a surface dynamo simulation
• Evidence for Quasi-isotropic Magnetic Fields from Hinode Quiet Sun Observations
• Are there field-free gaps near tau=1 in sunspot penumbrae?
• Zeeman-Tomography of the Solar Photosphere -- 3-Dimensional Surface Structures Retrieved from Hinode Observations