Observational Manifestations of Solar Magnetoconvection: Center-to-Limb Variation

We present the first center-to-limb G-band images synthesized from highresolution simulations of solar magneto-convection. Towards the limb thesimulations show "hilly" granulation with dark bands on the far side, brightgranulation walls and striated faculae, similar to observations. At disk centerG-band bright points are flanked by dark lanes. The increased brightness inmagnetic elements is due to their lower density compared with the surroundingintergranular medium. One thus sees deeper layers where the temperature ishigher. At a given geometric height, the magnetic elements are cooler than thesurrounding medium. In the G-band, the contrast is further increased by thedestruction of CH in the low density magnetic elements. The optical depth unitysurface is very corrugated. Bright granules have their continuum optical depthunity 80 km above the mean surface, the magnetic elements 200-300 km below. Thehorizontal temperature gradient is especially large next to fluxconcentrations. When viewed at an angle, the deep magnetic elements opticalsurface is hidden by the granules and the bright points are no longer visible,except where the "magnetic valleys" are aligned with the line of sight. Towardsthe limb, the low density in the strong magnetic elements causes unitline-of-sight optical depth to occur deeper in the granule walls behind thanfor rays not going through magnetic elements and variations in the fieldstrength produce a striated appearance in the bright granule walls.Comment: To appear in ApJL. 6 pages 4 figure