SOLAR ACTIVE REGIONS AS A PERCOLATION PHENOMENON .2.

The persistence of solar active regions was previously modeled in term s of percolation releasing magnetic flux from deep in the solar interi or (Wentzel & Seiden 1992). Harvey's (1993) data on the size distribut ion of active regions at the end of emergence are reinterpreted in ter ms of a power law at small sizes and exponential at larger sizes. This combination is characteristic of percolation near the critical point. We have added a simple model for the magnetic polarity of the release d loops and for their diffusion once they reach the surface. We presen t simulated active-region maps and size and age distributions.