Fine Structure of Photospheric Faculae

Abstract

Properties of the photospheric bright points associated with magnetic flux tubes are reviewed both in faculae (facular points) and in the photospheric network (network bright points - NBPs) out of active regions. A special attention is given to their size distribution, to their location relative to the granular, mesogranular and supergranular patterns, and to their relation with the small scale magnetic features, both in active and quiet regions. In particular a new granulation movie reveals that NBPs form in large intergranular spaces, compressed by the surrounding granules.At the center of the solar disk, bright points are much brighter than the mean photosphere; their contrast increases toward the limb up to μ = 0.3 − 0.2 and then decreases to the limb, as it is now widely accepted. But, all the published contrasts are of little significance because of center-to-limb selection effects. New center-to-limb contrast variations of individual network bright points are presented, which take into account the selection effects.