Presentation #113.07 in the session “Solar Physics Division (SPD): Photosphere & Chromosphere, Solar Interior, and Solar Cycle”.
The intent of this project is to study the effects of the solar magnetic cycle on the thermal structure of the solar atmosphere in the quiet Sun. Using data from the spectropolarimeter onboard the Hinode satellite, four datasets were selected from throughout Solar Cycle 24; all datasets selected were near the disk center and without any obvious magnetic signatures. Using two inversion methods, first a simple inversion based on the Milne-Eddington model, and then a more sophisticated atmospheric model using the SIR inversion code, a quarter-million pixels were inverted from each dataset. By inverting the data and analyzing the differences in the inverted parameters between the datasets, we attempt to see if the resolution and the precision of the Hinode data is able to detect meaningful differences in photospheric structure throughout the solar cycle, primarily the source function and its gradient as indicators of the temperature gradient. Results using the Milne-Eddington approach appeared to not find any systematic changes throughout the solar cycle. In our current work, SIR inversion code with a more sophisticated atmospheric model is being applied to the datasets.