Chapter 8. The Sun

Know the data on Page 146

1. What are the photosphere, chromosphere, corona?

2. What is granulation? What is it telling us about heat flow from the interior? How long does a granule last?

3. What is convection? Conduction? Radiation?

4. What is supergranulation? Spicules are found at the edges of supergranules.

5. What do we learn from Limb Darkening?

6. How far does the Corona extend into space? How hot is the corona? What is the solar wind? What is the speed of the solar wind at the Earth’s distance from the Sun?

7. Helioseismology is the study of the interior of the Sun using the Sun’s oscillations in radius. We can study the interior of the sun just as ringing a bell tells us how the bell is made.

8. What are sunspots? Why do they appear dark? Which part is the Umbra? The Penumbra? Note that they are located in Active Regions.

9. How long is the solar sunspot cycle?

10. Skip “The Sun’s Magnetic Cycle” (approximately pages 156-160)

12. When was the Maunder minimum?

13. Skip the Butterfly diagram (part of Figure 8-13)?

14. What is a Prominence, what is a Flare? Look at the pictures on page 162-163. Note the strength of the shock-wave.

15. What is ejected from Coronal Holes?

16. Where does the energy from the sun come from? Why do we know that it must be nuclear energy?

19. Binding energy is the energy that keeps the protons and neutrons in the nucleus from flying apart.

20. Nuclear Fusion requires high temperatures and high densities to overcome the Coulomb barrier. (Like charges repel)

21.What is the proton-proton chain? Who first proposed it in 1938.

22. What is a neutrino? How is energy released in the proton-proton chain? Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen.

23. How does the energy flow from the center to the surface? What are convection, conduction, radiation?

24. What is the difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. Which is most important in current nuclear power plants?

25. What does the solar neutrino experiment tell us? What are the most recent results: Discussed in class.

26. Who is the astronomer who built the Homestake Mine experiment and was awarded the Nobel Prize?