The chromospheric network: Dependence of cell lifetime on length-scale

A time series of Caii K filtergrams of the chromosphere was used to study the relationship between correlation lifetimes and autocorrelation length scales. The form of the lifetime-scale relation is inferred by comparing the distribution of the two parameters. A linear dependence of lifetime on cell area, with a least squares fit slope of 3.34×107 km2 hr–1, is deduced. The relation can be explained by assuming the network evolves by means of a diffusion process of the magnetic elements.