Supersonic Magnetic Upflows in Granular Cells Observed with SUNRISE/IMAX

Using the IMaX instrument on board the SUNRISE stratospheric balloon telescope, we have detected extremely shifted polarization signals around the Fe I 5250.217 A spectral line within granules in the solar photosphere. We interpret the velocities associated with these events as corresponding to supersonic and magnetic upflows. In addition, they are also related to the appearance of opposite polarities and highly inclined magnetic fields. This suggests that they are produced by the reconnection of emerging magnetic loops through granular upflows. The events occupy an average area of 0.046 arcsec2 and last for about 80 s, with larger events having longer lifetimes. These supersonic events occur at a rate of 1.3 X 10--5 occurrences per second per arcsec2.