Tracking moving magnetic features in the photosphere

This research aims for an objective identification, tracking, and a statistical analysis of the Moving Magnetic Features (MMFs) around sunspots using SOHO/MDI high-resolution magnetograms. To this end, we develop a computerized tracking program and study the motion and magnetism of the outflows of MMFs around 26 sunspots. Our method locates 4–27 MMFs per hour, with higher counts for large sunspots. We differentiate MMFs into type α that have a polarity opposite to the parent sunspots, and type β that share the sunspot’s polarity. These sunspots’ MMF subsets exhibit a wide range of central tendencies which have distinctive correlations with the sunspots. In general, α-MMFs emerge farther from the sunspot, carry less flux, and move faster than β-MMFs. The typical α/β-MMFs emerge at 2.2–8.1/0.1–3.2 Mm outside the penumbra limb, with lifetimes of 1.1–3.1/1.3–2.0 h. They are 1.1–6.6/1.4–3.6 Mm2 in area and carry 1.4–12.5/4.8–11.4 ×1018 Mx of flux. They travel a distance of 2.7–5.9/2.8–3.6 Mm with the speed of 0.5–0.9/0.4–0.7 km/s. Compared to the α-MMFs produced by large sunspots, those of small spots are smaller. They emerge closer to sunspot, move farther, live longer, and carry less flux. β-MMFs show much less correlation with the sunspots. The flux outflow carried by the MMFs ranges from 0.2 to 8.3 × 1019Mx· h−1 and does not show obvious correlation with the sunspots’ evolution. The frequency distributions of the MMFs’ distance traveled, area, and flux are exponential. This suggests the existence of numerous small, weak, and short-timescale magnetic objects which might contribute to the sunspot flux outflow.