INTRODUCTION


Distribution of observed magnetic and intensity structures on the surface of the Sun and in its chromosphere and corona depends on the nature of both large scale (super and mesogranules) and small-scale (granules) subsurface flows. The variety of observed flows around sunspots and pores suggests that magnetic structures affect flow of the photospheric plasma. However, little is known on how a strong sunspot would effect the photospheric flow. The high-quality long-duration SOHO/MDI intensity image sequences are well suited to detect large-scale surface flows by direct displacement measurements of the local intensity pattern.


©BBSO/NJIT 2001