LIFETIME OF INTRANETWORK MAGNETIC ELEMENTS

Using a 10-hour time sequence of very deep magnetograms of Big Bear So lar Observatory, we have studied the lifetime of Intranetwork Magnetic Elements for the first time. The analysis reveals the following resul ts: (1) The lifetime of intranetwork elements ranges from 0.2 hr to 7. 5 hr with the mean of 2.1 hr. There appears to be a quasi-linear depen dence of the lifetime on the total flux of elements. (2) Most intranet work elements appear as a cluster of mixed polarities from an emergenc e center somewhere within the network boundary and are destroyed by th ree mechanisms: merging with intranetwork or network elements of the s ame polarity, cancellation of opposite polarity elements, or separatio n and disappearance at the position where they appear. (3) We estimate that the total energy released from the recycling of IN elements is 1 .6 x 10(28) ergs s(-1), which seems to be comparable to the energy req uired to heat the corona.