Sun’s coronal magnetic field

 

• An international team of solar physicists has measured the global magnetic field of the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, for the very first time.
• This development could help answer some of the solar phenomena.

The temperature profile of the sun:

• The core of the Sun is at a temperature of about 15 million degrees, while its outer layer, the photosphere is only 5700 degrees hot. The sun’s corona or outer atmosphere, which stretches up to several million kilometers beyond its surface, is much hotter than the surface (one million degrees or more).
• This is unusual given that while the surface is cooler than the interior, the atmosphere of the Sun (corona) rises substantially.
• Popular explanations with respect to the coronal heating involve the magnetic field of the corona.

Solar eruptions:

• The surface of the Sun is dynamic. There are multiple mechanisms of eruptions of the Sun, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
• A solar flare is a sudden flash of increased brightness on the Sun, usually observed near its surface.
• A coronal mass ejection is a significant release of plasma and accompanying magnetic field from the solar corona.

Magnetic reconnection

• Magnetic reconnection is a process where opposite polarity magnetic field lines connect and some of the magnetic energy is converted to heat energy and also kinetic energy which leads to the generation of heating, solar flares, solar jets, etc.