ASTR100 (Spring 2008) Introduction to Astronomy Our Star Prof. D.C. Richardson Sections 0101-0106
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ASTR100 (Spring 2008) Introduction to AstronomyOur Star
Prof. D.C. Richardson
Sections 0101-0106
Why does the Sun shine?
Lifetime =
Total EnergyLuminosity
• This helps explain why the Sun shines!…
Luminosity
Luminosity is light energy emitted per unit time.
Measured in Watts (Joules per second).
Our Sun’s luminosity is 3.8 × 1026 W. That’s a lot of 100-W lightbulbs!!
Is it on FIRE?
Is it on FIRE?
Luminosity ~ 10,000 years
Chemical Energy Content
Is it on FIRE? … NO!
Luminosity ~ 10,000 years
Chemical Energy Content
Is it CONTRACTING?
Luminosity
Gravitational Potential Energy
Is it CONTRACTING?
~ 25 million years
Luminosity
Gravitational Potential Energy
Is it CONTRACTING? … NO!
~ 25 million years
Is it powered by NUCLEAR ENERGY?
Is it powered by NUCLEAR ENERGY?
E = mc2
- Einstein, 1905
Is it powered by NUCLEAR ENERGY?
Luminosity~ 10 billion yearsNuclear Potential Energy (core)
E = mc2
- Einstein, 1905
Is it powered by NUCLEAR ENERGY? … YES!
Luminosity~ 10 billion yearsNuclear Potential Energy (core)
E = mc2
- Einstein, 1905
The Sun is in gravitational equilibrium…
The outward push of pressure balances the inward pull of gravity.
Weight of upper layers compresses lower layers.
Gravitational equilibrium…
Energy provided by fusion (heat) maintains the pressure.
Gravitational contraction…
Provided energy that heated core as Sun was forming.
Contraction stopped when fusion began.
Quiz!
Consider Schrödinger’s equation:
Show that this equation is equivalent to:
Haha! April Fools!
What is the Sun’s structure?
Radius:
6.9 x 108 m
(109 times Earth)
Mass:
2 x 1030 kg
(300,000 Earths)
Luminosity:
3.8 x 1026 Watts
Solar wind:
A flow of charged particles from the surface of the Sun.
Corona:
Outermost layer of solar atmosphere.
~1 million K
Chromosphere:
Middle layer of solar atmosphere.
~ 104–105 K
Photosphere:
Visible surface of Sun.
~ 6,000 K
Convection Zone:
Energy transported upward by rising hot gas.
Radiation Zone:
Energy transported upward by photons (light).
Core:
Energy generated by nuclear fusion.
~ 15 million K
How does nuclear fusion occur in the Sun?
Fission
Big nucleus splits into smaller pieces.
(Nuclear power plants)
Fusion
Small nuclei stick together to make a bigger one.
(Sun, stars)
High temperature enables nuclear fusion to happen in the core.
(Atoms move faster when they’re hotter.)
The Sun releases energy by fusing four hydrogen nuclei into one helium nucleus in several steps.
The sequence of steps is called the proton-proton chain.
IN4 protons
OUT4He nucleus2 gamma rays2 positrons2 neutrinos
Total mass is 0.7% lower
E = mc2
Thought Question
What would happen inside the Sun if a slight rise in core temperature led to a rapid rise in fusion energy?
A. The core would expand and heat up slightly.
B. The core would expand and cool.C. The Sun would blow up like a
hydrogen bomb.
Thought Question
What would happen inside the Sun if a slight rise in core temperature led to a rapid rise in fusion energy?
A. The core would expand and heat up slightly.
B. The core would expand and cool.C. The Sun would blow up like a
hydrogen bomb.Solar thermostat keeps burning rate steady
Solar Thermostat
Drop in core temperature causes fusion rate to drop, so core contracts and heats up.
Rise in core temperature causes fusion rate to rise, so core expands and cools down.
How does the energy from fusion get out of the Sun?
Energy gradually leaks out of the radiation zone in the form of randomly bouncing photons.
Convection (rising hot gas) takes energy to surface.
Bright blobs on photosphere are where hot gas reaches the surface.
How do we know what is happening inside the Sun?
We learn about the inside of the Sun by…
Making mathematical models. Observing “sunquakes”. Observing solar neutrinos.
Patterns of vibration on the surface tell us what the Sun is like inside.
Results agree very well with mathematical models of the solar interior.
Neutrinos created during fusion fly directly through the Sun.
Observations of these solar neutrinos can tell us what’s happening in core.
Solar neutrino problem:
Early searches for solar neutrinos failed to find the predicted number.
Solar neutrino problem:
Early searches for solar neutrinos failed to find the predicted number.
More recent observations find the right number of neutrinos, but some have changed form.
What causes solar activity?
Solar activity is like “weather”…
Sunspots. Solar prominences. Solar flares. Coronal mass ejections.
All are related to magnetic fields.
Sunspots
Cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface (4000 K).
Regions with strong magnetic fields.Click me!
Charged particles spiral along magnetic field lines.
Loops of bright gas often connect sunspot pairs (prominence).
Click me!
Loops trace magnetic field lines.
Click me!
Magnetic activity causes solar flares that send bursts of X-rays and charged particles into space.
Click me!
Magnetic activity also causes solar prominences that erupt high above the Sun’s surface.
The corona appears bright in X-ray photos in places where magnetic fields trap hot gas.
How does solar activity affect humans?
Coronal mass ejections send bursts of energetic charged particles out through the solar system.
Click me!
Charged particles streaming from Sun can disrupt electrical power grids and disable communications satellites.
Energetic particles high in Earth’s atmosphere cause aurorae (e.g., Northern Lights).
How does solar activity vary with time?
Number of sunspots rises and falls in 11-year cycle.
Click me!
Sunspot cycle related to winding and twisting of Sun’s magnetic field.
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