False Polarity Separation Line?

by Mjtbarrett

At first glance I thought that these similar looking SSs may be the same region imaged on different days. Turned out not to be the case. First image June 23 2000; second image March 08 2003. Are these examples of a False Polarity Separation Line as described in the blog here: http://blog.sunspotter.org/ ?

June 23 2000 enter image description here

See also 09/03/03 http://talk.sunspotter.org/#/subjects/ASZ00001hd one day later but still showing the same effect...
And http://talk.sunspotter.org/#/subjects/ASZ00001lp on the Eastern Limb

Posted March 10, 2014 11:41 AM

by Mjtbarrett

I've started a collection of some similar images here: http://talk.sunspotter.org/#/collections/CSZS000013

Posted March 11, 2014 11:19 PM

by pahiggins

Yes, good catch! This is a great example of a 'false PSL' . The left part of the sunspot, which appears black/negative (which normally represents magnetic fields going into the Sun) is still magnetic field going out of the Sun, but because the field is so inclined to the solar surface (it is penumbrae), it appears black. The right part of the image (white/positive) is the 'true' polarity of the spot in this case.

Posted March 12, 2014 7:42 PM