The smallest observable elements of magnetic flux

Time sequences have been used to search for and measure the smallest possible solar flux elements during the process of their disappearance. Measurements are reported of the magnetic flux of 15 of the last remaining visible segments of eight continuously shrinking magnetic features which appeared continuously to cancel with other features of opposite polarity during periods of two to eight hours. The minimum observable fluxes were in the range of 1.0 x 10 to the 16th to 1.4 x 10 to the 17th Mx, and the apparent size of these elements was between 1 and 9 arcsec. The process of disappearance appeared to be a smooth one. The smallest detectable elements of network field and ephemeral regions appeared to be the same as the small intranetwork field elements.