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Statistical Properties of Magnetic Bright Points at Different Latitudes and Longitudes of the Sun

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Abstract

Magnetic bright points (MBPs) are located in intergranular channels on the solar surface. Studying the properties and evolution process of MBPs can help us to better understand solar activity and predict solar events that have a significant impact on Earth. In this study, we performed a statistical analysis of MBPs at different latitudes and longitudes. Data from the quiet-Sun (QS) in the eastward-equator (8 June 2021) and in the southern hemisphere (31 July 2020), as well as data from the QS near the disk center (30 July 2020), are analyzed. We studied the properties of MBPs, including lifetime, intensity contrast, and velocity. Moreover, we analyzed the intensity contrast of isolated MBPs at the moments of their birth and disappearance at different latitudes and longitudes, as well as the variation in the number of MBPs that appeared and disappeared in each frame. The results show that non-isolated MBPs have longer lifetimes than isolated MBPs, and the average lifetime of non-isolated MBPs located in the southern hemisphere (SH) is significantly shorter than that of MBPs near the disk center (DC) in the eastward-equator (EE). We find that the lifetime of non-isolated MBPs in the SH is negatively correlated with the intensity contrast, with higher intensity contrast associated with a shorter lifetime. The velocities of isolated MBPs at different latitudes and longitudes follow a Rayleigh distribution, while the velocities of non-isolated MBPs follow a log-normal distribution. Non-isolated MBPs exhibit higher horizontal velocities, with the maximum horizontal velocity reaching 8 km s−1. Finally, we find that the number of isolated MBPs per square Mm at different latitudes and longitudes remains stable during consecutive periods, and the intensity contrast of isolated MBPs is similar at the moment of their birth and disappearance.

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Data Availability

The data analyzed during the current study were derived from the following public domain resources Big Bear Solar Observatory http://www.bbso.njit.edu/~vayur/gst_logs/

Notes

  1. www.solarmonitor.org.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the use of data from the Goode Solar Telescope (GST) of the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO).

Funding

BBSO operation is supported by NJIT and US NSF AGS-1821294 grant. GST operation is partly supported by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute and the Seoul National University. This work was partially supported by the “Thousand Talent Plans for Young Top-notch Talents of Yunnan Province” (41971392), as well as the Postgraduate Research and Innovation Fund of Yunnan Normal University (YJSJJ23-B111).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physics and Electronic Information, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China

    Limin Zhao, Haicheng Bai, Yukuan Zhang & Yang Yang

  2. School of Information, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China

    Peng Yang, Meng Sang & Yang Yang

  3. Laboratory on Adaptive Optics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610209, China

    Xiaoying Gong

  4. Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610209, China

    Xiaoying Gong

  5. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xiaoying Gong

  6. School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xiaoying Gong

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Contributions

This article was written by LiMin Zhao, who independently conducted the data analysis and wrote the manuscript. HaiCheng Bai, Peng Yang, and XiaoYing Gong proofread all drafts. HaiCheng Bai provided initial guidance on the paper, and XiaoYing Gong objectively reviewed and verified the manuscript. Peng Yang provided support in the experimental design aspect. Meng Sang provided technical consultation support for challenging aspects of the experiment. Yukuan Zhang provided constructive suggestions for the design of experimental figures and charts. Yang Yang made overall contributions in guiding the research work, including the thinking process, topic selection, design, and analysis. Yang Yang also provided important guidance in solving difficult or complex problems in the manuscript. Furthermore, XiaoYing Gong, HaiCheng Bai, and Peng Yang went through the entire review process, confirming the scientific integrity of the paper. They conduct comprehensive reviews and verifications for the final publication. All authors contributed to the further revisions of this paper, providing constructive comments and suggestions to ensure accurate expression of the complex research results.

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Correspondence to Yang Yang.

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Zhao, L., Yang, P., Bai, H. et al. Statistical Properties of Magnetic Bright Points at Different Latitudes and Longitudes of the Sun. Sol Phys 299, 1 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-023-02242-2

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