Development of Active Regions: Flows, Magnetic-Field Patterns and Bordering Effect

Abstract

A qualitative analysis is given of the data on the full magnetic and velocity vector fields in a growing sunspot group, recorded nearly simultaneously with the Solar Optical Telescope on the Hinode satellite. Observations of a young bipolar subregion developing within AR 11313 were carried out on 9 – 10 October 2011. Our aim was to form an idea about the consistency of the observed pattern with the well-known rising-tube model of the formation of bipolar active regions and sunspot groups. We find from our magnetograms that the distributions of the vertical [$B_{\mathrm {v}}$] and the horizontal [$B_{\mathrm {h}}$] component of the magnetic field over the area of the magnetic subregion are spatially well correlated; in contrast, the rise of a flux-tube loop would result in a qualitatively different pattern, with the maxima of the two magnetic-field components spatially separated: the vertical field would be the strongest where either spot emerges, while the maximum horizontal-field strengths would be reached in between them. A specific feature, which we call the bordering effect, is revealed: some local extrema of $B_{\mathrm {v}}$ are bordered with areas of locally enhanced $B_{\mathrm {h}}$. This effect suggests a fountainlike spatial structure of the magnetic field near the $B_{\mathrm {v}}$ extrema, which is also hardly compatible with the emergence of a flux-tube loop. The vertical-velocity field in the area of the developing active subregion does not exhibit any upflow on the scale of the whole subregion, which should be related to the rising-tube process. Thus, our observational data can hardly be interpreted in the framework of the rising-tube model.