Abstract:
Polar faculae (PF) are bright, small-scale structures measuring a few seconds of arc, populating the polar zones at latitudes >50°. They possess magnetic fields ranging from 150 to 1,700 Gauss and largely constitute the polar magnetic fields. Where and how their fields are generated in the solar interior remain open questions. Using measurements of PF rotation rates, we show that their anchor depths probably lie in subsurface layers at radius r/R ȯ = 0:94-1.00. If so, the PF fields are possibly generated by a local dynamo in a subsurface shear layer extending to r/R ȯ > 0:94.
