MODELING OF THE MAGNETIC-STRUCTURE OF SUN SPOTS

A theoretical model for a sunspot in hydrostatic equilibrium is develo ped. In the model, there is simple ''cylindrical'' pressure balance at the tau(s) = 1 level, while at heights of a few hundreds of kilometer s above the photosphere, the magnetic field tends toward a potential d istribution. This theoretical model is compared in detail with the mos t recent and complete empirical models for sunspots with various sizes and temperatures. The good agreement between the models strongly indi cates that the basic ideas and features of the theoretical model (the law of similarity at the spot center, a thin boundary layer, screening of the spot magnetic force tube, etc.) correctly reflect the physical properties of sunspots.