The Morphologic Properties of Magnetic networks over the Solar Cycle 23

Huang Chong, chuang@nao.cas.cn, Key Laboratory of Solar Activity,National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Yan Yihua, Key Laboratory of Solar Activity,National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhang Yin, Key Laboratory of Solar Activity,National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tan Baolin, Key Laboratory of Solar Activity,National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences


Abstract
The morphologic properties of magnetic networks have been analyzed by applying the watershed algorithm to the magnetograms observed by the Michelson Doppler Interferometer (MDI) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) during Carrington Rotations (CR) 1955-2091 (from 1999 to 2010). The distribution functions of magnetic network cell sizes are obtained. The areas of magnetic cells on the solar surface are changed only slightly within ±50° latitude, and this is consistent with the result from the Auto-Correlation curve method. The statistical investigation of these data indicates that the fractal dimension of the magnetic networks is D=1.200±0.009. It is also found that both the fractal dimension and the size of the magnetic networks are anti-correlation with the sunspot areas in the solar cycle.