Solar-cycle variations of the internetwork magnetic field

The quiet Sun exhibits a rich and complex magnetic structuring that is still not fully resolved or understood. Aims. We intend to contribute to the debate about the origin of the internetwork magnetic fields and whether or not they are related to the global solar dynamo. Methods. We analyzed center-to-limb polarization measurements obtained with the SOT/SP spectropolarimeter onboard the Hinode satellite outside active regions in 2007 and 2013, that is, at a minimum and a maximum of the solar cycle, respectively. We examined 10" x 10" maps of the unsigned circular and linear polarization in the FeI 630.25 nm line in regions located away from network elements. The maps were corrected for bias and focus variations between the two data sets. Then we applied a Fourier spectral analysis to examine wether the spatial structuring of the internetwork magnetic fields shows significant differences between the minimum and maximum of the cycle. Results. Neither the mean values of the unsigned circular and linear polarizations in the selected 10" x 10" maps nor their spatial fluctuation power spectra show significant center-to-limb variations. For the unsigned circular polarization the power of the spatial fluctuations is lower in 2013 than in 2007, but the spectral slope is unchanged. The linear polarization spectra show no significant differences in 2013 and 2007, but the spectrum of 2013 is more strongly affected by noise. Conclusions. The small-scale magnetic structuring in the internetwork is different in our 2013 and 2007 data. Surprisingly, we find a lower spatial fluctuation power at the solar maximum in the internetwork magnetic structuring. This indicates some complex interactions between the small-scale magnetic structures in the quiet Sun and the global dynamo, as predicted by recent numerical simulations. This result has to be confirmed by further statistical studies with larger data sets.