A recent study carried out on high sensitivity SUNRISE/IMAX data has reported
about the existence of areas of limited flux emergence in the quiet Sun. By
exploiting an independent and longer (4 hours) data set acquired by HINODE/SOT,
we further investigate these regions by analysing their spatial distribution
and relation with the supergranular flow. Our findings, while confirming the
presence of these calm areas, also show that the rate of emergence of small
magnetic elements is largely suppressed at the locations where the divergence
of the supergranular plasma flows is positive. This means that the dead calm
areas previously reported in literature are not randomly distributed over the
solar photosphere but they are linked to the supergranular cells themselves.
These results are discussed in the framework of the recent literature.Comment: Accepted as A&A Lette
