The Sun

Layer and
Structure

The Sun

Gr. Helios; Rn. Sol

Our sole source of light
and heat in the solar
system
A very common star: a
glowing ball of gas held
together by its own
gravity and powered by
nuclear fusion at its
center.

The Sun

Hydrostatic Equilibrium

This balance leads to a

spherical ball of gas,
called the Sun.

Solar Properties

Radius = 696,000 km

Mass = 2 x 1030 kg
(300,000 times Earth)

Av. Density = 1410 kg/m3

Rotation Period =
24.9 days (equator)
29.8 days (poles)

Surface temp = 5780 K

Thermonuclear Reaction

Fusion of two light

atomic nuclei into a
single heavier nucleus
by collision of two
interacting particles at
extremely
high
temperature

Thermonuclear Reaction

Proton Proton Chain

Main source of fusion in core

Two protons come together
One proton changes to neutron, forming deuterium
Note that a positron and neutrino are ejected

Thermonuclear Reaction

Proton Proton Chain

New proton strikes deuteriumresult is tritium and a

gamma ray
Tritium nuclei collide forming helium and two free protons

Nuclear Fusion
4H

He

The Proton-Proton
Chain:

Thermonuclear Reaction

Net result:

Four protons
produce
Two positrons
Two neutrinos
Two gamma rays
One helium nucleus!

Thermonuclear Reaction

If you weigh the helium nucleus and the

positrons and electrons, they weigh about one
percent (.07) as much as the four protons.

The difference in mass (m) is radiated away

as energy via E = mc2.

The energy is in the form of kinetic energy

(i.e. heat energy) and electromagnetic energy
(gamma rays).

E=mc2
(c = speed of light)
The total mass decreases during a fusion reaction.
Mass lost is converted to Energy:
Mass of 4 H Atoms = 6.693 10-27 kg
Mass of 1 He Atom = 6.645 10-27 kg
Difference
=
0.048 10-27 kg
(% m converted to E)

(0.7%)

The sun has enough mass to fuel its current

energy output for another 5 billion years

Energy Transport w/in the Sun

The energy output from the core of the sun is in the form of
gammy rays. These are transformed into visible and IR light by
the time they reach the surface (after interactions with particles in the
Sun).

Neutrinos are almost

non-interacting with
matter So they
stream out freely.

Thermonuclear Reaction

Layers of the Sun

Inner Parts
Outer Parts

Inner Layers of the Sun

Core
Radiation Zone
Convection
Zone

Inner Layers of the Sun

Helioseismology

Standard Solar Model

Core

Central
region
where
nuclear
reactions consume
hydrogen to form
helium
Extremely hot core ionized gas

Radiation (Radiative) Zone

Section between the

innermost
core
and
outer convective zone
Energy from core move
upward
as
electromagnetic
radiation
photons

Convection (Convective Zone)

Zone
where
turbulent
convective
motion occur

Convection (Convective Zone)

Hot gas is less dense

Cool gas is denser

Convection (Convective Zone)

Solar Granulation
(Evidence of Convection)

Solar Granules are the tops

of convection cells.

Bright regions are where

hot material is upwelling
(1000 km across).

Dark regions are where

cooler material is sinking.

Transition Zone

Is a thin and very

irregular layer of the
suns atmosphere
that separates the
hot
corona
from
much
cooler
chromosphere

Transition Zone and the Corona

Outer Layers of the Sun

Photosphere
Chromosphere
Corona
Prominences,
flares, coronal
mass ejections

Photosphere

The outer shell of the

sun from which light
and heat is radiated
Solar surface

Chromosphere

A reddish gaseous layer

immediately above the
photosphere of the sun
or another star

Together with the corona,

they constitute the stars
outer atmosphere

Corona

The outermost layer of

the sun consists primarily
of plasma
Extends
million
of
kilometres into the space
Hot coronal gas
escapes the Sun
Solar wind

Sunspot

Sunspot

Typically about 10000 km across

At any time, the sun may have

hundreds or none

Dark color because they are

cooler than photospheric gas
(4500K in darkest parts)

Each spot can last from a few

days to a few months

Galileo observed these spots and

realized the sun is rotating
differentially (faster at the poles,
slower at the equator)

Solar Prominence

Also known as filament

An arc of gas that erupt

from the surface of the
sun

Held above the sun by

strong magnetic field

Solar Flare

A
sudden
flash
of
brightness
observed
near the suns surface

A brief eruption of
intense
high-energy
from the suns surface

Solar Flare

5 hours

Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)

An unusually large release of plasma and magnetic field

from solar corona
They often follow solar flares and prominence eruption.

The Planet
Earth

Rotation and Revolution

Three Laws of Planetary
Motion

Earth

Blue Planet

Third planet from

the Sun and the
fifth largest

Densest among all

planets

Rotation

Rotation
is
the
spinning of the Earth
on its axis.
The time for one
rotation is 24 hours.
The speed of rotation
24,855 miles/24 hr or
1,038 miles/hr

Rotation

Axis the imaginary line through the

planet from the North Pole to the South
Pole

The axis of the earth is tilted 23.5 from

a line perpendicular to the plane of its
orbit of the sun.

Rotation

What do you observe

about the angle of the tilt?

Rotation

Rotation of the earth on its axis causes

Day and Night
Rotates around once in 24 hours
The time required to rotate completely around once
is called a day.

Revolution

Revolution

A revolution occurs as the earth moves

around the sun.

Time for one revolution = 365 1/4 days

= 8,766 hours

The speed of earths revolution is about

18 miles per second.

Revolution

It takes
365.25 full
rotations for the
Earth to go around the Sun
once.
The time it takes for the
Earth to go completely
around the Sun is called a
year.
Each 4 years, one day is
added to the month of
February to make up for the
0.25 (1/4) rotation in each
revolution around the sun.

Revolution

The motion of
the Earth in its
orbit
around
the Sun is an
ellipse, not a
circle

Revolution
Perihelion
Aphelion

Revolution

Seasons

Summer Solstice
Winter Solstice
Vernal Equinox
Autumnal Equinox

Seasons

Seasons occur not because of the distance it

is from the sun but due to the Earths tilt
doesnt change as it orbits the sun.
Earths curvature

Seasons

Equinox: An equinox is one

of two opposite points on
the celestial sphere where
the celestial equator and
ecliptic intersect.
Solstice: A solstice is
either of the two times of
the year when the sun is
at its greatest distance
from the equator.

Spring Equinox ~ March

21
Summer Solstice ~ June
21
Fall Equinox ~ September
22
Winter Solstice ~
December 21

Ecliptic Plane
Winter Solstice

Spring Equinox

Celestial Equator

Fall Equinox

Fall Solstice

Seasons

Seasons

Hemispheres

hemisphere means half sphere

The Earth is split into 4 hemispheres.

Depending on the hemisphere you live in

depends on the seasons.

Season
Hemisphere

Three Laws of Planetary

Motion (Keplers Law)

Keplers Law

Danish astronomer Tyco Brahe

(1546-1601) had an island
observatory and the best
measurements of the positions
for all known planets (Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn)
and the Moon.

Austrian mathematician
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630),
interested in how the planets
move around the sun, went to
Tycos island to get these
accurate measurements.

First Law of Planetary Motion

The orbital paths of the planets

elliptical, with the Sun at one focus

are

First Law of Planetary Motion

An ellipse is a geometric shape with 2

foci instead of 1 central focus, as in a
circle. The sun is at one focus with
minor axis
axis focus.
nothing at the major
other
2 foci
Perihelion

Aphelion

Semi-major axis

Second Law of Planetary Motion

Each planet moves in so that an imaginary

line drawn from the sun to any planet sweeps
out equal areas of space in equal intervals of
time.

Third Law of Planetary Motion

The square of the orbital period (T ) of a

planet is directly proportional to the cube of
the average distance of the planet from the
sun (r ), or alternatively: