The Photosphere

The photosphere is the surface of the Sun that we see, and the direct source of its energy. It is dominated by granulation, supergranulation, and magnetic fields. We discuss the significance of limb daikening, the opacity, and model structure. The magnetic fields are dominated by the network, but the weaker fields are also of great interest. We discuss the Fraunhofer spectrum, and what it tells us about the surface, and finally, the newly-discovered emission lines at 12μ