Astronomy
1st Edition
ISBN: 9781938168284
Author: Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher: OpenStax
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Textbook Question
Chapter 15, Problem 28E
Suppose you observe a major solar flare while astronauts are orbiting Earth. Use the data in the text to calculate how long it will before the charged particles ejected from the Sun during the flare reach them.
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Question A2
a)
Calculate the mass loss rate of the Sun M due to the solar wind flow. Assume average
properties of the solar wind of number density 6 protons cm³, and a flow speed of 450 km
s-1. Express your answer in units of both kg per year, and solar masses per year.
b) Suppose the solar wind flow is perfectly radial. Calculate the expected rate of change of
solar rotation frequency dw at the present time, based on conservation of angular momen-
tum. Give your answer in units of rad s-1 y-1 (i.e., radians per second per year) and also
in terms of fractional change per year, i.e., 1 du.
w dt'
Use a current solar rotation period of P = 25.38 days to calculate the current angular
frequency of rotation w. The moment of inertia of a uniform sphere is MR². You can
assume that the radius of the Sun is approximately constant, and the change in its moment
of inertia due to the solar wind is only due to the mass loss.
Page 3
c) By observing the rotation period of stars similar to the…
Explain why some solar shock waves are thought to die out at heliocentric distances of 3-5 R. How can we observe this?
Chapter 15 Solutions
Astronomy
Ch. 15 - Describe the main differences between the...Ch. 15 - Describe how energy makes its way from the nuclear...Ch. 15 - Make a sketch of the Sun’s atmosphere showing the...Ch. 15 - Why do sunspots look dark?Ch. 15 - Which aspects of the Sun’s activity cycle have a...Ch. 15 - Summarize the evidence indicating that over...Ch. 15 - What it the Zeeman effect and what does it tell us...Ch. 15 - Explain how the theory of the Sun’s dynamo results...Ch. 15 - Compare and contrast the four different types of...Ch. 15 - What are the two sources of particles coming from...
Ch. 15 - How does activity on the Sun affect human...Ch. 15 - How does activity on the Sun affect natural...Ch. 15 - Table 15.1 indicates that the density of the Sun...Ch. 15 - Starting from the core of the Sun and going...Ch. 15 - Since the rotation period of the Sun can be...Ch. 15 - Suppose an (extremely hypothetical) elongated...Ch. 15 - The text explains that plages are found near...Ch. 15 - Why would a flare be observed in visible light,...Ch. 15 - How can the prominences, which are so big and...Ch. 15 - If you were concerned about space weather and...Ch. 15 - Suppose you live in northern Canada and an...Ch. 15 - The edge of the Sun doesn’t have to be absolutely...Ch. 15 - Show that the statement that 92% of the Sun’s...Ch. 15 - From Doppler shifts of the spectral lines in the...Ch. 15 - Assuming an average sunspot cycle of 11 years, how...Ch. 15 - This chapter gives the average sunspot cycle as 11...Ch. 15 - The escape velocity from any astronomical object...Ch. 15 - Suppose you observe a major solar flare while...Ch. 15 - Suppose an eruptive prominence rises at a speed of...Ch. 15 - From the information in Figure 15.21, estimate the...
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