Solar Features and Chromospheric Structures

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Questions and Answers

What is the approximate diameter of a supergranule?

35,000 km (correct)

50,000 km

25,000 km

10,000 km

What phenomenon is best used to observe supergranules?

Doppler shift (correct)

Photometric measurements

Thermal imaging

Spectral lines of gold

What is the primary feature that outlines the cells of the chromospheric network?

Solar flares

Bundles of magnetic field lines (correct)

Filaments

Sunspots

What spectral line is predominantly used to view filaments?

H-alpha Signup and view all the answers

What term is used for the bright patches surrounding sunspots?

Plage Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a prominence from a filament?

Prominences project out above the Sun's limb, while filaments do not. Signup and view all the answers

What speed do individual supergranules typically flow at?

0.5 km/s Signup and view all the answers

What forms the chromospheric network seen in emissions?

Concentrated magnetic field lines Signup and view all the answers

What force is believed to balance the weight of a prominence in the solar atmosphere?

Tension force from the magnetic field Signup and view all the answers

How do prominences generally remain cooler than their surroundings in the solar corona?

By being shielded by the magnetic field Signup and view all the answers

What does the polarity inversion line represent in a magnetogram?

The division between different magnetic polarities Signup and view all the answers

Which sequence in a magnetogram corresponds to increasingly strong positive magnetic field components?

Pink-red-yellow Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic is observed in sunspots that relates to magnetic fields?

They are the locations of strong, concentrated magnetic fields Signup and view all the answers

What is a magnetogram?

A synthetic image representing solar magnetic fields Signup and view all the answers

What color representation indicates increasingly strong negative magnetic fields in a magnetogram?

Purple-blue-light blue Signup and view all the answers

What analogy is used to explain the balancing effect of the magnetic field on prominences?

Sitting in a hammock Signup and view all the answers

What are coronal loops primarily created by?

Upwelling magnetic fields Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic feature of coronal holes?

They have open magnetic field lines Signup and view all the answers

What can be a consequence of the interactions within coronal loops?

Heating of the solar corona Signup and view all the answers

What are Magnetic Clouds formed from?

Eruptions from the Sun Signup and view all the answers

What speed can the solar wind vary from?

Less than 300 km/s to over 800 km/s Signup and view all the answers

Where are coronal holes most often located?

At the Sun's poles Signup and view all the answers

What are Co-rotating Interactive Regions (CIRs) mainly characterized by?

Interaction of streams at different speeds Signup and view all the answers

What type of magnetic field is associated with coronal holes?

Open magnetic field lines Signup and view all the answers

What is the temperature of the dark centers of sunspots compared to the surrounding photosphere?

3700 K Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary visual effect of faculae on the Sun's appearance?

They make the Sun appear slightly brighter. Signup and view all the answers

How long do individual granules typically last?

Around 20 minutes Signup and view all the answers

In which part of a sunspot is the magnetic field strength strongest?

In the umbra Signup and view all the answers

What defines the process occurring in granules on the Sun's surface?

Convection currents Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate size of individual granules on the Sun?

1000 km across Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon is primarily responsible for producing noise and waves on the Sun's surface?

Granulation flow Signup and view all the answers

What primarily supports the stability of solar prominences within the corona?

The magnetic field surrounding them Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes the magnetic fields of sunspots from those of faculae?

Faculae have stronger fields concentrated in smaller bundles. Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical temperature range of solar prominences?

5-10,000 K Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes active prominences from quiescent prominences?

Active prominences are related to solar flares Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon might occur when material from an active prominence is rapidly ejected?

A surge Signup and view all the answers

What causes quiescent prominences to evolve and elongate over time?

Variations in solar magnetic fields Signup and view all the answers

How do solar prominences affect the surrounding environment?

They significantly increase particle density in the corona Signup and view all the answers

What is the particle density magnitude of solar prominences compared to the surrounding medium?

About 100 times cooler and more dense Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the dense plasma in loop-like structures of solar prominences?

It drains towards the solar surface Signup and view all the answers

What is the average strength of the Earth's surface magnetic field?

0.5 Gauss Signup and view all the answers

In what manner does a prominence typically erupt?

Outwards away from the sun's surface Signup and view all the answers

What is the range of magnetic field strengths found in sunspots?

1000-4000 Gauss Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon can result from a particularly violent prominence eruption?

Coronal mass ejections Signup and view all the answers

How does the solar magnetic field differ from the Earth's magnetic field in terms of structure?

It has notable topological complexity Signup and view all the answers

What happens to most of the material from an erupting prominence after the event?

It falls back down to the Sun's surface Signup and view all the answers

What does the stability of a prominence's magnetic field indicate about its existence?

Prominences can maintain equilibrium over extended durations Signup and view all the answers

What major effect can occur at Earth's orbit due to coronal mass ejections?

Auroras Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Solar Features

Photospheric Features:
- Sunspots: Appear as dark spots, temperatures lower than surrounding photosphere (3,700 K compared to 5,700 K), have strong magnetic fields, often in groups, last from days to weeks.
- Faculae: Bright areas, often near solar limb, higher concentration of magnetic fields compared to sunspots making them brighter, more prominent during sunspot maximum.
- Granules: Small (1000 km across) cellular features, tops of convection cells, last only about 20 minutes, hot fluid rises, cools, and sinks.
- Supergranules: Larger versions of granules (35,000 km), cover entire sun, last for a day or two, flow speeds around 0.5 km/s, carry magnetic field bundles to edges of cells forming the chromospheric network.

Chromospheric Features

Chromospheric Network: Web-like pattern, best seen in H-alpha and Ca II K lines, outlines supergranule cells, relates to magnetic field bundles concentrated by supergranules.
Filaments: Dark, thread-like features in H-alpha, dense, cooler clouds, suspended by magnetic field loops, same as prominences.
Plage: Bright patches surrounding sunspots, best seen in H-alpha, associated with magnetic fields, part of chromospheric network.
Prominences: Dense clouds of material above the sun's surface, suspended by magnetic field loops, either quiescent (days to weeks) or eruptive (minutes to hours), same as filaments except prominences project above limb.
Spicules: Small, jet-like eruptions in chromospheric network, lasting a few minutes, eject material outward at 20-30 km/s.

Coronal Features

Helmet Streamers: Cap-like coronal structures, usually over sunspots, formed by magnetic loops, peaks created by outflowing solar wind.
Polar Plumes: Long, thin streamers, project from sun's poles, bright areas at footpoints associated with small magnetic regions (open magnetic fields).
Coronal Loops: Structures associated with sunspots and active regions, closed magnetic field lines, days to weeks, can change quickly, associated with solar flares.

Solar Wind Features

Magnetic Clouds: Produced by solar eruptions, carry material and embedded magnetic fields, detected by observing solar wind speed, density, and magnetic fields.
Corotating Interactive Regions (CIRs): Regions where high and low-speed solar wind streams collide, creating shock waves that accelerate particles to high speeds. Different speed solar streams rotate with sun.

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Description

Explore the intriguing features of the sun, focusing on both photospheric and chromospheric elements. This quiz will test your knowledge on sunspots, faculae, granules, and the chromospheric network. Dive into the fascinating world of solar dynamics!