6RODU (PLVVLRQ 4/10/00 1

Transcription

1 6RODU (PLVVLRQ 95% of the Sun s energy reaches us as sunshine, that is, light and heat Photosynthesis (how plants grow), sunburn, weather are all attributed to this energy The last 5% of the energy determines space weather 4/10/00 1

2 7KH 6XQ At 5 billion years old, our sun is an energy machine The sun's energy released in 1 sec, could power the U.S. for 9 million years 4/10/00 2

3 3DUWV RI WKH 6XQ The sun is a gas ball with various temperatures and densities Core: millions of degrees Surface: thousands of degrees Corona: millions of degrees 4/10/00 3

4 7KH 6XUIDFH :H 6HH Photosphere Surface of the sun You couldn t stand on surface Constantly bubbling 6000 K 4/10/00 4

5 )DLQW 8SSHU $WPRVSKHUH Corona Visible during an eclipse This outer layer extends millions of miles Earth is immersed in this 4/10/00 5

6 %HWZHHQ 6XQ DQG (DUWK Called solarterrestrial environment Solar wind, blows 1 million miles/hr, Shapes Earth s magnetosphere 4/10/00 6

7 (DUWK V 0DJQHWLF )LHOG Earth's magnetic field, without solar wind distortion Magnetic field lines channel charged particles 4/10/00 7

8 6XQ DQG (DUWK DUH $OLNH Active Quiet Summer Winter Each have: Equator Magnetic field, N and S poles Rotation ( day ) Seasons Atmospheric Weather 4/10/00 8

9 6RODU $FWLYLW\ Active Active and Quiet Sun look quite different One Solar Cycle is 11 years long. Quiet 4/10/00 9

10 6XQVSRWV$ Cooler regions 4400 Kelvin Appear in moments or hours, last hours, days, or weeks Disturbed magnetic field, is one cause for solar flares 4/10/00 10

11 6XQVSRWV 7UDYHO Sunspots move across the surface of the sun as the sun rotates They change as they age and may produce repeated flares 4/10/00 11

12 6RODU )ODUH This sunspot, 2 Earths wide, produced a bright flare 4/10/00 12

13 3URPLQHQFH Magnetic fields give structure to ejecta When very disturbed, breaks and plasma goes shooting out into space. 4/10/00 13

14 2SWLFDO 7HOHVFRSHV In white light one can easily see sunspots Light is projected onto a sheet so the eye doesn't look directly through the telescope at the sun. Telescope like one Galileo might have used 4/10/00 14

15 2WKHU 7HOHVFRSHV Radio telescopes and satellite imager tell us other information about the Sun 4/10/00 15

16 (IIHFWV= $XURUD The aurora is directly due to the energy coming from the sun Aurora from space with the shuttle in foreground 4/10/00 16

17 (IIHFWV= 1DYLJDWLRQ Ships at sea require good navigation signals Navigation errors can lead to wasted fuel, groundings, and spilled cargo 4/10/00 17

18 (IIHFWV= 5DGLR Signals can get lost or absorbed, bounce and miss the receivers Communication over the poles at certain frequencies can be completely blacked out 4/10/00 18

19 (IIHFWV= (OHFWULF 3RZHU Huge transformers can be damaged by geomagnetic storms Blackouts can be widespread 4/10/00 19

20 (IIHFWV= 3LSHOLQHV Alaska Pipeline Pipelines can corrode with geomagnetic storms Without mitigation, corrosion can cause severe leaks and damage the environment 4/10/00 20

21 (IIHFWV= 6DWHOOLWHV Satellites can be damaged, lost, returned to Earth early Satellites sit in the space environment and alert us 4/10/00 21

22 (IIHFWV= 5DGLDWLRQ Astronauts in space (EVA, Extra Vehicular Activity) All Space Shuttle missions SST (the Concorde) flying at high altitude, at high latitude 4/10/00 22

23 :RUN LQ 6SDFH Dangers of space travel are many Astronauts working on the Moon 4/10/00 23

24 (IIHFWV= &OLPDWH Is the Sun's variability tied to Earth's climate? Controversial correlation with droughts, ice ages, large-scale weather patterns on Earth 4/10/00 24

25 6XPPDU\ RI (IIHFWV Space Weather effects on: Satellites * What technology is dependent on satellties? Navigation * What are the risks of lost navigation signals? Manned Space Flights * As an astronaut, would you care about this? Communication * How are communications disrupted? Electric Power * How would you know about this disruption? 4/10/00 25

26 12$$ 6SDFH :HDWKHU 6FDOHV Category Geomagnetic Storms G1-G5 Solar Radiation Storms S1-S5 Radio Blackouts R1-R5 Effects Satellites, Power Grids, other Biological, Satellites, other Navigation, Radio Easy way to communicate conditions and forecasts Like the hurricane or earthquake scales Will be hearing these, seeing them in the news 4/10/00 26

27 12$$ 6FLHQFH (G 3RVWHU Poster shows effects on different systems Also Facts about space weather Questions to answer Websites What would you like to study about Space Weather? 4/10/00 27