solar atmospheres
Post on 14-Dec-2014
201 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Solar Atmospheres
Topics
• Chromosphere
• Corona
• Solar Wind
• Solar Magnetism
• Transition Zone and the Corona
Chromosphere
• ->emits very little light of its own. Can not be seen directly it is pinkish blue due to H alpha emission lines. Can be seen at eclipses
• -> spicules- solar storms emitted leave atmosphere around 100km/h and hit high above the photosphere. Near the edges of super granules Why? Magnetic field constructive interference
Corona and transition zone
• Corona- also seen only on eclipses when the moons angular size blocks the photosphere
• spectra changes from absorption to emission• upper chromospheres temps are way hotter than
photosphere• corona is still hotter• transition zone yields high temps, why is not
clear.
Solar Wind
• escaping solar particles (protons and electrons) @500km/ hr
• what’s happening? *query, sun is constantly evaporating and losing mass-
• the high temps replenish the sun from below
• about 1million tons shed per second, less than .1 % since formation of the sun
Solar Magnetism
• sun spots have a magnetic profile 1000X greater than surrounding area
• flows from s- n pole of spot, Polarity reversed on southern hemisphere
• occur in pairs with opposite polarities.• Light emitted by charged particles• Solar magnetic field warped by equator
(differentially rotates) and eventually wraps it and the result is a prominence
Solar Cycle
• temporary and unstable and there is an 11 year cycle of activity
• Sun spots start closer to poles and then work way towards equator
• Polarities reverse once they cross the equator
• Not constant can vary from 7-15 years
Corona and the Solar Cycle
• corona heated by solar surface activity
• this injects large amounts of energy into the atmosphere
• fueled by small scale magnetic loops
• linked in time to the solar cycle
top related