Structure of magnetic fields on the quiet sun

To obtain quantitative temporal and spatial information on the network magnetic fields, auto- and cross-correlation techniques are applied to the Big Bear videomagnetogram data. The average size of the network magnetic elements derived from the auto-correlation curve is about 5700 km. The distance between the primary and secondary peak in the auto-correlation curve is about 17,000 km, which is half of the size of the supergranule as determined from the velocity map. The canceling features and the emergence of ephemeral regions are the major sources for the loss and replenishment of magnetic flux on the quiet sun.