Spectro-polarimetry of polar faculae

This contribution deals with the properties of small-scale magnetic elements at the polar caps of the Sun. Spectro-polarimetric observations, obtained with high spatial resolution with the Gregory Coude Telescope at the Observatorio del Teide on Tenerife, were analysed. We find, though with limited data sets, that polar faculae differ in two aspects from faculae of the network in nonactive regions near the equator (equatorial faculae): (1) Polar faculae appear to have the same magnetic polarity as the general polar magnetic field. Presumably, the latter is rooted in the small-scale faculae. The equatorial faculae show both magnetic polarities. (2) Polar faculae, with a size of 3.5 '' +/- 1.3 '' are larger than equatorial faculae with 2.1 '' +/- 0.4 ''. Yet as for equatorial faculae, polar faculae possess kilogauss magnetic fields.