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?

<p>H-alpha (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What term is used for the bright patches surrounding sunspots?

<p>Plage (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a prominence from a filament?

<p>Prominences project out above the Sun's limb, while filaments do not. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What speed do individual supergranules typically flow at?

<p>0.5 km/s (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What forms the chromospheric network seen in emissions?

<p>Concentrated magnetic field lines (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Tension force from the magnetic field (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>By being shielded by the magnetic field (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the polarity inversion line represent in a magnetogram?

<p>The division between different magnetic polarities (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Pink-red-yellow (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They are the locations of strong, concentrated magnetic fields (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a magnetogram?

<p>A synthetic image representing solar magnetic fields (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Purple-blue-light blue (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Sitting in a hammock (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are coronal loops primarily created by?

<p>Upwelling magnetic fields (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic feature of coronal holes?

<p>They have open magnetic field lines (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Heating of the solar corona (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are Magnetic Clouds formed from?

<p>Eruptions from the Sun (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What speed can the solar wind vary from?

<p>Less than 300 km/s to over 800 km/s (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where are coronal holes most often located?

<p>At the Sun's poles (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Interaction of streams at different speeds (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of magnetic field is associated with coronal holes?

<p>Open magnetic field lines (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>3700 K (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They make the Sun appear slightly brighter. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How long do individual granules typically last?

<p>Around 20 minutes (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>In the umbra (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Convection currents (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>1000 km across (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Granulation flow (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>The magnetic field surrounding them (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Faculae have stronger fields concentrated in smaller bundles. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical temperature range of solar prominences?

<p>5-10,000 K (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes active prominences from quiescent prominences?

<p>Active prominences are related to solar flares (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>A surge (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What causes quiescent prominences to evolve and elongate over time?

<p>Variations in solar magnetic fields (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do solar prominences affect the surrounding environment?

<p>They significantly increase particle density in the corona (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>About 100 times cooler and more dense (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>It drains towards the solar surface (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>0.5 Gauss (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In what manner does a prominence typically erupt?

<p>Outwards away from the sun's surface (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>1000-4000 Gauss (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon can result from a particularly violent prominence eruption?

<p>Coronal mass ejections (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>It has notable topological complexity (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>It falls back down to the Sun's surface (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Prominences can maintain equilibrium over extended durations (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Auroras (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

What are Sunspots?

Dark spots on the Sun's surface, cooler than the surrounding photosphere, with strong magnetic fields.

What is the umbra?

The dark center of a sunspot.

What is the penumbra?

The lighter, outer region of a sunspot, with a weaker magnetic field than the umbra.

What are faculae?

Bright areas near the solar limb caused by magnetic fields concentrated in small bundles.

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What are granules?

Small, convection cells covering the Sun's surface, except where sunspots are.

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Describe the flow of gas in a granule.

Hot gas rises in the center of a granule, spreads out, cools, and sinks at the edges.

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What are supergranules?

Large-scale convection cells on the Sun's surface, much bigger than granules.

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What is a sonic boom on the Sun?

The flow within granules can reach supersonic speeds, causing sonic booms and waves on the Sun's surface.

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What is the chromospheric network?

The network of bright areas in the chromosphere (the layer above the Sun's surface) created by bundles of magnetic field lines concentrated at the edges of supergranules.

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What are filaments?

Dark, thread-like features seen in the red light of hydrogen (H-alpha). These are dense, cooler clouds of material that are suspended above the solar surface by loops of magnetic field.

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What is plage?

Bright patches surrounding sunspots that are best seen in the red light of hydrogen (H-alpha). They are associated with concentrations of magnetic fields and form part of the network of bright emissions in the chromosphere.

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What are prominences?

Dense clouds of material suspended above the Sun's surface by loops of magnetic field. They are the same as filaments, but viewed from the edge of the Sun.

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What is the Doppler shift?

The movement of light waves either towards or away from the observer. This causes a change in the color of the light observed, with blueshifts indicating motion towards the observer and redshifts indicating motion away.

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What is convection?

The process by which gas moves around in a convective cell, like boiling water on a stove. This process is responsible for transferring heat from the Sun's interior to its surface.

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What is the chromosphere?

The layer above the Sun's surface, which is characterized by bright emission lines of hydrogen (H-alpha) and other elements. It is where several solar features, like filaments and prominences, are observed.

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Solar prominences

Cool, dense plasma confined in thin, vertical sheets, located in the Sun's corona.

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Active prominences

Dynamic and eruptive solar events that last for minutes or hours, often associated with solar flares.

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Quiescent prominences

Stable solar structures that can last for months, suspended in the Sun's corona.

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Magnetic polarity inversion line (P.I.L.)

The boundary between areas of opposite magnetic polarity on the Sun.

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Solar corona

The outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere, extremely hot and tenuous.

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Photosphere

The visible surface of the Sun.

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Trapped in closed magnetic loops

The process where plasma is channeled along magnetic field lines, creating a loop-like structure.

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Chromosphere

The layer of the Sun's atmosphere just above the photosphere.

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Polarity Inversion Line

The boundary between areas of north and south magnetic polarity on the Sun's surface.

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How do prominences remain cool?

The magnetic field acts as a 'thermal blanket' around the prominence, shielding it from the hot corona.

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How are prominences supported?

The magnetic field provides a tension force to support the prominence, similar to a hammock.

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What is a magnetogram?

An image that shows the strength and polarity of the magnetic field on the Sun's surface.

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Sunspot Magnetic Field Strength

The strength of the magnetic field in sunspots is significantly higher than the Earth's magnetic field strength, reaching up to 4000 Gauss.

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Sunspot Size and Magnetic Field

The magnetic field in sunspots can vary, with larger sunspots typically exhibiting stronger fields.

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Solar Magnetic Field Complexity

The magnetic field lines in the Sun's surface are complex and unlike the Earth's dipolar field, making a compass unreliable for navigation.

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Prominence Eruptions

Prominences are large, dense plasma structures held aloft by magnetic fields. When they erupt, they release stored energy, causing the plasma to shoot outwards.

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Energy Release in Prominence Eruptions

The eruption of a prominence releases a huge amount of energy, propelling the dense plasma outwards against the Sun's gravity.

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Prominence Reformation

Most of the plasma from a prominence eruption eventually falls back to the Sun's surface, and the prominence often reforms at the same location.

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Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)

A particularly violent prominence eruption can drive material outward with enough force to escape the Sun's gravity, creating a coronal mass ejection.

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CME Impact on Earth

CMEs can significantly affect Earth, potentially triggering auroras due to the interaction of charged particles with the Earth's magnetic field.

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What are coronal loops?

Closed magnetic structures in the solar atmosphere anchored at opposite magnetic poles in the photosphere. They can be filled with hot gas that emits extreme ultraviolet and X-ray radiation.

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What are coronal holes?

Regions in the corona that appear dark in X-ray images. They are associated with open magnetic field lines and are often found at the Sun's poles.

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What are magnetic clouds?

Massive plasma clouds ejected from the Sun, carrying embedded magnetic fields. They can be detected in the solar wind by changes in wind speed, density, and magnetic field strength.

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What are Corotating Interactive Regions (CIRs)?

Regions in the solar wind where streams of material moving at different speeds collide and interact. These interactions are caused by the rotation of the Sun and the varying speeds of the solar wind from different regions.

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What is the solar wind?

The continuous flow of charged particles from the Sun's corona into interplanetary space. Its speed varies depending on the source region.

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What are helmet streamers?

Regions in the corona that are associated with closed magnetic field lines and are the source of the slow solar wind.

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What is the corona?

The outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere, characterized by extremely high temperatures and low density.

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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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Chapter 3: Solar Features PDF

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!

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