Jorrit Leenaarts (Sterrekundig Instituut Utrecht, Utrecht University): Solar proxy magnetometry in hydrogen Balmer lines

The identification and tracking of small scale photospheric magnetic elements in the solar atmosphere by their brightness enhancement over the granulation is called proxy magnetometry. I will discuss the properties of the blue wing of the Halpha and H beta lines as proxy magnetometers, both from an observational and theoretical point of view. The advantage of the hydrogen Balmer lines is that they provide more excess brightness in magnetic elements than the G band. Drawbacks are the lower resolution and the need for a narrow filter.