Term
| gravitational equilibrium |
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Definition
keeps the Sun's core hot enough and dense enough to shine
--> the natural balance of gravity pulling inward and thermal pressure pushing outward
--> creates nuclear fusion |
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Term
| the standard unit of power |
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Definition
the watt, or 1 joule of energy per second
--> a 100-watt light bulb requires 100 joules of energy for every second that it is left on |
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Term
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Definition
| a stream of charged particles continually blowing in all directions from the Sun |
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Definition
| the Sun's outermost layer, emits most of the Sun's x-rays |
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Term
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Definition
| the middle layer of the atmosphere, radiates ultraviolet light |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| energy is generated in the solar core, traveling upward (transported by rising hot gas and falling cool gas) |
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Term
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Definition
| energy moves outward primarily in the form of light photons |
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Term
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Definition
| the source of the Sun's energy --> nuclear fusion |
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Term
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Definition
| splitting a nucleus into 2 smaller nuclei |
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Term
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Definition
| combining nuclei to make a nucleus with a greater number of protons or neutrons |
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Term
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Definition
binds protons and neutrons together
--> is the only force in nature that can overcome the electromagnetic repulsion between 2 positively charged nuclei (over very small distances) |
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Term
| the proton-proton chain - step 1 |
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Definition
conversion of 2 protons into 1 proton and 1 neutron, reducing the nuclear charge from +2 to +1
--> this occurs twice
--> called a deuterium |
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Term
| the proton-proton chain - step 2 |
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Definition
the deuterium collides with a proton and fuses, resulting in a helium 3, with 2 protons and 1 neutron and 1 gamma-ray photon
--> this occurs twice
--? 0.7% mass is converted into energy |
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Term
| the photon-photon chain - step 3 |
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Definition
| the 2 helium 3s fuse to form a helium 4, releasing 2 access protons |
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Term
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Definition
| slow, outward migration of photons from the Sun's core outward |
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Term
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Definition
result from movement of gas within the Sun, generating waves of pressure that travel through the Sun like sound waves
--> analyzing these vibrations can tell us a lot about the solar interior |
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Term
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Definition
| subatomic particles produced during nuclear fusion, in principle can be used to monitor what is going on at the Sun's core |
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Term
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Definition
| features on the Sun's surface that change with time |
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Term
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Definition
contortions in the magnetic field on the Sun's surface, poking out from the interior, suppressing convection and becoming cooler than their plasmic surroundings
--> sun spots occur in pairs, connected by a loop of magnetic fields |
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Term
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Definition
represent the direction in which compass needles would point if we placed them within the magnetic field
--> closer together=stronger
--> farther apart=weaker |
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Term
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Definition
| intense storm on the Sun's surface which sends bursts of x-rays and fast-moving particles shooting into space |
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Term
| heating of the chromosphere and corona |
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Definition
| the sun's strong magnetic fields carry energy upward from the churning solar surface. The rising and falling of gas in the convection zone probably shake tightly wound magnetic fields in the solar surface and this energy is deposited as heat in the solar atmosphere |
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Term
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Definition
| regions of the corona that allow particles to escape the sun and make up solar wind |
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Term
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Definition
highly energetic, charged particles from the Sun's corona that travel outward in huge bubbles
--> create a geomagnetic storm in Earth's magnetosphere |
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Term
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Definition
a cycle in which the average number of sunspots on the Sun gradually rises and falls
--> the Sun's magnetic field flips (the magnetic field lines connecting pairs of sunspots point in the same direction throughout the cycle) |
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Term
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Definition
most numerous sunspots in a sunspot cycle
--> opp: solar minumum |
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Term
| connections between solar activity and Earth's climate |
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Definition
low solar activity= low temperatures
long solar sunspot cycles=droughts, storms |
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