Diagnosing the solar atmosphere through the Mg I b$_2$ 5173 Å line. II. Morphological classification of the intensity and circular polarization profiles

Abstract

The Mg I b$_2$ line at 5173 Å is primarily magnetically sensitive to heights between the mid photosphere and the low chromosphere, a region that has not been sufficiently explored in the solar atmosphere but is crucial for understanding the magnetic coupling between the two layers. New generation solar observatories are now performing polarimetric observations of this spectral line, enabling simultaneous measurements with multiple spectral lines. This allows for detailed studies of the magnetism around the temperature minimum region at high spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions. We present a morphological classification of the Stokes $I$ and $V$ profiles of the Mg I b$_2$ line using the Euclidean distance method on high spatial resolution observations from the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope. The physical properties of the resulting classes were analyzed using classical inference methods. Additionally, we present a two-line full-Stokes inversion of the representative profiles in which the Mg I b$_2$ line is treated fully under non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) conditions, while the Fe I 6173 Å line is simultaneously inverted under LTE assumptions to provide photospheric constraints. This approach offers insights into the temperature stratification and other physical gradients involved in the formation of the different profile morphologies. We found nine classes of Stokes $V$ profiles and 16 classes of Stokes $I$ profiles in our Mg I b$_2$ dataset. These classes can be further grouped into families based on shared characteristics, physical properties, and location. Our classification provides important information on the different environments and processes occurring in the solar atmosphere around the temperature minimum region. It is also relevant for improving the performance of NLTE inversions.