Download Threat of Sunshine



Caused by the magnetic field of the sun
Charged particles spiral along magnetic field
lines
We draw magnetic field lines (red) to represent
invisible magnetic fields. (Ref 1)

The sun’s equator rotates faster that its poles, this
causes the magnetic field to get twisted
The sun’s rotation twists its magnetic field (Ref 1)

Gas gets trapped in twisted magnetic field lines
causing sunspots and solar prominences
Magnetic field lines create sunspots and solar prominences (Ref 1)

As lines continue to get twisted tension gets too
high and field lines snap causing solar flares, coronal
mass ejections, and the solar wind
Solar Flare (Ref 1)
Coronal Mass Ejection (Ref 1)
At a solar maximum the frequency and intensity of
solar activity increases
 11 yr cycle, if pole flip is included 22 yr cycle

Records of solar activity
clearly show the 11 yr
cycle (Ref 1)

Ocean conveyor belt analogy
 Dead sunspots are drug 200,000km down into the sun where the
dynamo reamplifies them and sends them back up
 The sun’s conveyor belt cycle is between 30 and 50 yr long allowing a
means to predict intensities of solar maximums
The ocean conveyor belt (Ref 3)
Sun’s conveyor belt (Ref 3)

The energy released in a solar flare
3
E  kT
2
3
5
E  * 8.6 *10 * 99994200
2
E  1.3 *104 eV
1.
2.
3.
Bennett, Jeffery, Donahue, Megan, Schneider, Nicholas, Voit, Mark,
The Cosmic Perspective, 2007 Pearson Education Inc, San Franscisco
CA, p.477-496
Pacella, Rena Marie. “Anatomy of a Solar Storm.” Popular Science.
May 2007.
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/aviationspace/7250d257d5ed2110vgnv
cm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html
Phillips, Tony. “Solar Storm Warning.” NASA. 15 March, 2006. 9
October, 2006.
<http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/10mar_stormwarni
ng.html