Chapter 8 Quiz

Question 1

What is the nearest star to the Earth?

Answer 1

The Sun

Question 2

what are Neutrinos?

Answer 2

Neutrinos are released in the p-p reaction chain. By determining the number of neutrinos that hit
the Earth, we get an idea of how many leave the
Sun. This gives us information about the interior
of the Sun

Question 3

What are the characteristics of the Sun’s atmosphere?

Answer 3

1. its mass is less than 1% of the sun(still more than the Earth’s mass)
2. light passes through
3. it has a considerable range of Temperature & Density.

Question 4

What are some characteristics of the photosphere?

Answer 4

1. it’s ~500KM thick
2. most visible light “escapes” here
3. Lowest level of all

Question 5

Energy generated in the Sun’s center must be transported outward. Near the ___, this happens through ___

Answer 5

Photosphere, Convection

Question 6

What is granulation?

Answer 6

Is the visible consequence of convection.

Question 7

What are sunspots?

Answer 7

Regions of intense magnetic fields

Question 8

What are the darkest and lightest parts of a sunspot

Answer 8

The Umbra and Penumbra

Question 9

What is a single sunspot’s lifespan?

Answer 9

A sunspot can last anywhere from hours, to a month.

Question 10

A large group of sunspots(up to 100) is called an ___ and may last as long as ___

Answer 10

Active region, two months.

Question 11

What is the Zeeman Effect?

Answer 11

The distortion of absorption lines that appear to give them a bending effect. This is caused by magnetism.

Question 12

What are some characteristics of the chromasphere?

Answer 12

1. It is the second layer from the sun. And is the layer just above the photosphere
2. Visible, UV, and X-ray lines from highly ionized gases
3. Temperture increases gradually from 4500K to 10,000k then jumps to 1,000,000k

Question 13

What are Spicules

Answer 13

flame-like jets of gas rising upward into the chromosphere(lasts 5-10 minutes).

Question 14

What are Filaments?

Answer 14

Filaments are long dark feautures sillhouted against the Sun’s chromosphere.

Question 15

What are the characteristics of Filaments?

Answer 15

1. Filaments are related to solar activity
2. The filaments are gasses held above the photosphere.
   2a. They are dark because they are cooler
   compared to the photosphere.
3. When seen from the side, these structures are known as prominences.

Question 16

What are prominecnes?

Answer 16

Flame like structures many times the size of Earth(3) that flow from active sunspot groups comprised of ionized gas following magnetic fields. They have a velocity of around 700 - 1300 KM/sec. This gas can originate in the Corona, and fall back.

Question 17

What are solar flares?

Answer 17

small, bright, transient patches that are sometimes visible in white light. They can produce x-rays and gamma rays, and they are associated with active regions on the Sun(Sunspots). These also push plasma into the corona.

Question 18

What is the Corona?

Answer 18

Large extended region of the Sun’s atmosphere that can be seen during a total Solar Eclipse. Iti is in the white light spectrum containing x and gamma rays, and contains emission lines of multiple ionized atoms. Is very hot(1,000,000 degreesK).

Question 19

The Sun is not rigid and as such, different parts of the Sun___

Answer 19

rotate at different speeds. The Poles rotate slower than the equator.

Question 20

There are ___ lines on the sun that wrap around the sun as it rotates. These cause ___

Answer 20

magnetic, Sunspots.

Question 21

The strength of the activity of the Sun waxes and wanes with a period of 11 years. As the field increases, sunspots migrate from ___

Answer 21

high latitudes, towards the equator.

Question 22

The magnetic field of the Sun may affect the Earth’s ___

Answer 22

Temperture

Question 23

What is Solar Wind

Answer 23

Escaping charged particles (+ and -)which extend past Jupiter’s orbit. They travel around 400KM/sec and are fed by the corona. They cause consequences such as Radio and telegram interference, the auroraes of upper Earth’s atmosphere near the poles, and possibly effect climactic change.

Question 24

What is coronal Mass Ejection?

Answer 24

Massive amounts of solar wind that are released when magnetic field lines cancel out in active regions.