Download BLynchTalk3

Solar Flares and Coronal
Mass Ejections
Brian Lynch
10/29/2003
Table of Contents
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is a CME?
What is a Solar Flare?
What is their relationship?
Effects of CMEs
September 1, 1859
More Recent CME effects
Very Recent CME & Solar Flare effects
October 29, 2003
What is a CME?
• Large volume of
superheated gas
• Magnetically charged
• 2000 km/s
• 10^16 grams (10
billion tons) of plasma
What is the Relationship?
• Once thought: solar
flares cause CME
• Separate occurrence
• Tangled magnetic
fields within Sun
What is a Solar Flare?
• Release of buildup of Magnetic energy
• Three Stages:
•
•
•
Precursor: triggers release of magnetic energy
Impulsive: protons and electrons accelerated to energies up to and beyond
1 MeV
Decay: return to lower energy
• Extend into the corona with noticeable
change in brightness
• Potentially effect communications on Earth
What are the effects of a CME?
• Worldwide disruption
of Earth’s magnetic
field
• Satellite interference
• Electrical and
Communication
equipment
interference
• Intense “Northern
Lights”, aurora
borealis
September 1, 1859
•
•
•
•
•
Largest known CME
18 hours ( 3-4 standard)
Magnetic field reverse of Earth
Telegraph failure in US and Europe
Aurora Borealis visible as far south as
Rome, Havana and Hawaii
More Recent CME effects
• 1989 – Quebec power grid down for 9
hours, estimated 100’s of millions lost in
revenue and damage (X15)
• 1994 – NASA notes CME leave sun, 5
days later CME takes out communication
satellite Telstar 1 as well as others.
• 1998 – CME blamed for failure of Galaxy 4
satellite which caused the loss of 80% of
US pager use (45 million customers)
Very Recent CMEs
• Tuesday October 28, 2003 CME seen around
6:00 am
• Solar flare rated X17.2 occurs right after
• Third highest measured
• CME traveling at 2000 km/s
• Solar flare caused radio storm in ionosphere
early Tuesday morning to afternoon.
• CME set to arrive midday Wednesday Oct. 29,
2003
October 29, 2003
• Potential effects
depend on orientation
• Appearance of
Northern Lights also
depend on this
orientation
• Advanced
Composition Explorer
Credits
• http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/23oct_superstor
m.htm
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9701/21/cosmic.chaos/
http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/articles/eisbaker.html
http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/sftheory/cme.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/10/28/solar.flare/i
ndex.html
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/10.28Fl
are.html