Properties of transient horizontal magnetic fields and their implication to the origin of quiet-Sun magnetism

Recent spectropolarimetric observations with high spatial resolution and high polarization sensitivity have provided us with new insight to better understand the quiet-Sun magnetism. This talk is concerned with the ubiquitous transient horizontal magnetic fields in the quiet-Sun, as revealed by the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on board Hinode satellite. Exploiting the SOT data with careful treatment of photon noise, we reveal the enigmatic properties of these horizontal magnetic fields such as lifetime, size, position in terms of granular structure, occurrence rate, three-dimensional structure, total magnetic flux, field strength distribution, relationship with the meso- and super-granulations and so on. Based on these observational consequences, we conjecture that the local dynamo process, which takes place in a relatively shallow layer with the granular size, produces these transient horizontal magnetic fields and that these horizontal magnetic fields contribute to the considerable amount of quiet-Sun magnetic fields. We also estimate the magnetic energy flux carried by these horizontal magnetic fields based on the statistical data, and find that the total magnetic energy is comparable to the total chromospheric and coronal energy loss, implying their important role for the chromospheric heating and dynamism.