Authors: Jung-Tsung Li (Ohio State University), John F. Beacom (Ohio State University), Spencer Griffith (Ohio State University), Annika H. G. Peter (Ohio State University)

The Sun emits gamma rays ranging from several hundred MeV to 1 TeV through hadronic cosmic ray interactions with the solar atmosphere. A critical factor influencing this phenomenon is the reflection of cosmic rays by solar magnetic fields in the photosphere and the upper convection zone. In this talk, I will present a simplified solar magnetic flux tube structure that combines network elements and granular sheets, which serve as sites for gamma-ray emissions from hadronic cosmic-ray showers. Our findings reveal a gamma-ray spectrum, including the spectral index and overall magnitude, that aligns well with Fermi-LAT data at 1-200 GeV and HAWC at 1 TeV. I will demonstrate that the low-energy (less than 10 GeV) gamma rays are primarily produced in the network elements and high-energy (greater than 10 GeV) gamma rays in the granule sheets. Notably, I will show that the considerably softer gamma-ray spectrum at 1 TeV reported by HAWC results from the limited effectiveness of capturing and reflecting the highest energy (approximately 10 TeV) cosmic rays by finite-sized granular sheets. Lastly, I propose that solar gamma-ray observations offer a novel means to probe small-scale magnetic fields in the quiet Sun.