How solar flares form. Study of solar activity
solar flares- these are processes of energy release (light, thermal and kinetic), unique in their power, in the atmosphere of the Sun. Flashes one way or another cover all layers of the solar atmosphere: photosphere, chromosphere and solar corona. Duration solar flares often does not exceed several minutes, and the amount of energy released during this time can reach billions of megatons in TNT equivalent. solar flares, as a rule, occur at the points of interaction of sunspots of opposite magnetic polarity, or, more precisely, near the neutral line of the magnetic field separating the regions of north and south polarity. Frequency and Power solar flares depend on the phase of the solar cycle.
Energy solar flare manifests itself in many forms: in the form of radiation (optical, ultraviolet, X-ray and even gamma), in the form of energetic particles (protons and electrons), as well as in the form of hydrodynamic plasma flows. Power outbreaks often determined by the brightness they produce x-ray radiation. The strongest solar flares belong to X-ray class X. To class M belong solar flares, which have a radiation power 10 times less than outbreaks class X, and to class C - outbreaks with 10 times less power than class M flares. The current classification solar flares is based on observational data from several artificial Earth satellites, mainly from GOES satellites.
Observations of solar flares in the H-alpha line
solar flares are often observed using filters that make it possible to isolate the H-alpha line of the hydrogen atom located in the red region of the spectrum from the total radiation flux. Telescopes operating in the H-alpha line are now installed in most ground-based solar observatories, some of which take photographs of the Sun in this line every few seconds. An example of such a photograph is the image of the Sun shown above this text, taken in the H-alpha line at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. It clearly shows the ejection of a solar prominence during a limbic solar flare October 10, 1971 Movie (4.2MB mpeg) recorded during outbreaks, shows this process in dynamics.
In the H-alpha line, so-called two-ribbon solar flares, when during a flare two extended bright radiating structures are formed in the chromosphere, having the form of parallel ribbons, elongated along the neutral line of the magnetic field (the line separating groups of sunspots of opposite polarity). A characteristic example double ribbon solar flare is the event of August 7, 1972 shown in the following movie (2.2MB mpeg) . This is very famous flash, which occurred between the flights of Apollo 16 (April) and Apollo 17 (December), recent travels man to the moon. If an error were made in the calculation of the flight time, and one of the crews would be on the surface of the Moon during this outbreaks, the consequences would be disastrous for the astronauts. Subsequently, this possible situation formed the basis of the fantastic work “Space” (“Space”) by James Michener (James Michener), which described a fictional Apollo mission that lost its crew due to exposure to radiation from strong solar flare.
Solar flares and magnetic fields
At present, there is no doubt that the key to understanding solar flares should be sought in the structure and dynamics of the solar magnetic field. It is known that if the structure of the field in the vicinity of sunspots becomes very complex, then the lines of force can begin to reconnect with each other, which leads to the rapid release of magnetic energy and the energy of electric currents associated with the magnetic field. As a result of various physical processes, this primary energy of the field then turns into thermal energy plasma, fast particle energy and other forms of energy observed in a solar flare. The study of these processes and the establishment of the reasons why solar flare, is one of the main problems of modern solar physics, which is still far from a final answer.
On September 6, 2017, the largest solar flare occurred in twelve years. The registered radiation shows that a coronal mass ejection has occurred. Life figured out how this could threaten ordinary people.
Behind the bustle of ordinary days and simple momentary problems, we forget about how complex and fragile our world is. That the Sun is not just a luminous basketball in the sky, giving light during the day and the opportunity to take beautiful photos in the mornings and evenings, but a huge star, whose mass is 99.87 percent of the mass of the entire solar system. On September 6, another reminder happened - the largest flare in the last twelve years occurred on the Sun.
It's time to figure out what it can threaten us, ordinary earthlings, astronauts at the International space station, which do not have the saving protection of the atmosphere, and even satellites operating in Earth's orbit.
Flash on the right!
Let's deal with the terms. What is a flash, if the Sun is already a huge ball, consisting mainly of hydrogen, inside which thermonuclear reactions take place, releasing a huge amount of energy, light and heat. Yes, this is true, but due to its structure, the Sun "burns" fairly evenly for its size and mass.
However, sometimes there is an explosive release of energy in the Sun's atmosphere, called a flare. This process captures all layers of the solar atmosphere: the photosphere, chromosphere and corona of the Sun. At this moment (and the impulsive phase of solar flares lasts only a few minutes), there is a powerful release of energy - sometimes up to 15 percent of the total energy released by the Sun per second.
Even just converting the flare energy into close and understandable values is very difficult - it is so huge. A powerful flash releases about 160 billion megatons of TNT energy, which, by comparison, is the approximate amount of world electricity consumption over one million years.
Sometimes at the same moment there is also a coronal mass ejection - part of the solar matter is ejected with force outside the atmosphere of the Sun. Scientists have not yet determined whether these phenomena are related or not. Quite often, solar matter is ejected parallel to flares, but sometimes this occurs independently of each other. On September 6, the Sun experienced not only a flare, but also a coronal mass ejection.
The ejection contains a plasma consisting of electrons and protons. The ejection mass can be up to 10 billion tons of matter, which flies in space at an average speed of 400 kilometers per second and reaches the Earth within one - three days. And if the main effect of a solar flare reaches the Earth in eight and a half minutes, then in the case of a coronal mass ejection, the effect turns out to be extended and begins several days after the ejection moment.
It is worth noting that the Sun is a ball, so some of the flares from the Earth are simply not visible. They occur on the opposite side of the Sun and do not affect us in any way. In this case, the Earth was not lucky: the outbreak occurred in a geoeffective area near the Sun-Earth line, from where the impact on our planet is maximum.
Scientists have begun to measure the power of solar flares and record coronal mass ejections relatively recently, since the sixties of the last century. Flash output is determined by the Latin letters A, B, C, M or X and a numerical value after it. The flare that occurred is estimated by scientists as X9.3, while the most powerful flare ever recorded is X28. Strangest of all, the current outbreak occurred exactly twelve years after the last outbreak of such magnitude (September 7, 2005). In addition, now is a period of decline in solar activity. Astronomers did not expect such a phenomenon to occur.
What threatens such an outbreak?
interacting with the Earth's magnetosphere, plasma flows cause disturbances in it - storms that are felt by weather-dependent people.
The thing is that the human body is accustomed to the Earth's magnetic field and uses it in Everyday life, for example, for orientation in space. Disturbances of the magnetic field cause an imbalance in the body systems in some people who are most sensitive to this phenomenon. It is believed that geo magnetic storms cause migraine, insomnia, pressure surges. However, all this is purely individual. Describe how geomagnetic storms caused by solar flares affect specific person, difficult. Scientists are still studying this issue, there is even a whole section of biophysics that studies the effect of changes in the activity of the Sun on terrestrial organisms - heliobiology.
So the most important thing is not to panic. As a rule, weather-dependent people are well aware that they can get sick from geomagnetic storms. Meteorologically dependent, as well as people with chronic diseases, should monitor the approach of magnetic storms and exclude in advance any events or actions that can lead to stress during this period. It is best at this time to be at rest, relax and reduce any physical and emotional overload.
What's with the connection?
Soyuz", which plays the role of a rescue ship on the ISS. However, the design of all modules of the station provides normal protection for the crew from bursts of solar activity, during which the background radiation is greatly increased. Cosmonauts spend daily individual accounting doses of radiation received on board.
In general, there is no need to be afraid of solar flares. This is a fairly common occurrence, in your life you have experienced many of them without even knowing what happened. Otherwise, you can become like Dunno from the Flower City and make a commotion from scratch.
And Dunno ran at full speed home and let's shout:
Brothers, save yourself! The piece is flying!
- What piece? they ask him.
- Piece, brothers! A piece broke off from the Sun. Soon it will slap - and everyone will be covered. Do you know what the sun is? It is larger than our entire Earth!
- What are you thinking!
- I'm not imagining anything. This is what Steklyashkin said. He saw through his pipe.
Everyone ran out into the yard and began to look at the Sun. They watched and watched until tears began to flow from their eyes. Blindly, it began to seem to everyone that the Sun was actually chipped. And Dunno shouted: "Save yourself who can! Trouble!"
Astrologers say that the two main luminaries, the Moon and the Sun, not only illuminate and warm our earth, but also provide direct influence to the inhabitants of the entire planet.
This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age.
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How the Sun affects a person: the secrets of astrology
The sun is both a friend and an enemy to all mankind. If you deal with the Sun correctly, it will greatly help you improve your health, cheer you up, and charge you with positive energy. The sun and the moon have a huge influence not only on the earth, but also on humanity and other living microorganisms.
The role of heavenly bodies in our daily life should not be underestimated, because they are of great importance. For example, the phase of the moon can determine our well-being, success, results of the working day. Astrologers distinguish several phases in which the moon enters: full moon, new moon, waning moon and growing. Each period brings people certain inconveniences or joys.
You may ask, what influences the position of the Moon and the Sun? Yes, it is easier to say what these huge and such important celestial bodies do not influence. They can change the state of your health, well-being, set the tone for the whole day. Astrologers determine when it is better to start new job, do operations, cut hair, pick mushrooms, fish and so on. And all this directly depends on the Moon and the Sun. Also these celestial bodies have a huge impact on the climate of our planet. Not only the time of day, but also the weather depends on the position of the sun.
Even in ancient times, people realized that the sun's rays can be an excellent cure for various ailments. Thus, some patients and those whose body was very weak were prescribed walks, sunbathing. This therapy had a positive effect on human body. The sun's rays, which contain ultraviolet light, contribute to the production of vitamin D in the human body, and the vitamin, in turn, strengthens the human skeletal system. But any medicine becomes harmful if used in excess. Probably, even kids know that the sun can affect the skin negatively and beneficially. These are no jokes: everyone can burn the skin in a matter of minutes, but burns have very adverse consequences. Therefore, every self-respecting person tries to protect himself from the scorching sun.
Frequent and thoughtless exposure to the Sun contributes to the fact that the skin ages faster, fine wrinkles appear and even the risk of dangerous diseases. It is not recommended to sunbathe in the Sun during rush hour (from 11 am to noon). Although every season of the year different countries this period may be indicated by other figures. Try not to walk without protective clothing when the sun is baking, do not forget about hats and high-quality Sunglasses. UV rays have tremendous power, so it is best to use it only for good. Take care of yourself, do not abuse the sun's rays, let them only heal you, but in no case cripple you.
How do solar flares affect humans?
Solar flares are one of the natural phenomena that scientists have been interested in for many years. This phenomenon affects the earth quite strongly, therefore it is of great interest. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the activity of the sun consists of eleven cycles, and it is very difficult to predict the next outbreak. An analysis of the solar magnetic fields has shown that these phenomena are quite unstable, they are not constant.
No one doubts that the Sun influences the weather. There is no need to explain that if it is a sunny day in summer, then it will be not only warm, but also hot, and at the moments when the Sun is hidden behind clouds, you need to grab more warm clothing. We also know that in winter period The sun can shine, but not warm, because it is very far from the earth.
In the same way, solar flares affect our planet and us. They are very dangerous for astronauts, because at the time of their action it increases significantly, and if a person gets exposed to radiation, this will have terrible consequences for him in the future. Although, it must be said that solar flares have a huge impact on health and well-being. ordinary people which have nothing to do with space travel.
Scientists have long tried to find out whether the processes occurring on the Sun affect the peaceful inhabitants of the earth. They managed to prove that this is indeed the case, it even turned out what exactly outbreaks affect and which groups of people are most at risk.
For example, on days when active processes take place on the Sun, accidents and catastrophes occur more often on earth, in which it is man who is to blame. This is due to the fact that during this period, people's brain activity is very weakened, concentration of attention becomes dull, it becomes difficult for them to think and think sensibly. Solar flares are also known as magnetic storms.
People often say that during this period they do not feel well, complain of headaches. The following groups of people are especially sensitive:
- those who have a weakened immune system;
- people who have problems with the cardiovascular system, those who suffer from frequent pressure drops, migraines;
- mentally unbalanced;
- those who from time to time suffer from insomnia, loss of appetite, poor sleep;
It was found that various chronic diseases are exacerbated precisely during the period when regular flares occur on the Sun. This has not been scientifically proven, but in practice there have been cases more than once that during magnetic storms, old wounds began to hurt again, scars, broken bones or joints bothered.
It is recommended to regularly visit medical specialists to know if you are healthy, and if chronic diseases are found, then you should at least try to protect yourself during magnetic storms. It would be possible to prepare in advance for a deterioration in well-being and always have the necessary medications on hand.
In our century there is no longer any doubt that the Sun really has an effect on the human body. But this does not mean at all that if one person had a splitting head during magnetic storms, then the same symptoms will accompany everyone else. Not at all, everyone here is purely individual, and today you can suffer from solar flares, and your work colleagues will still feel great.
Scientists do not give up and still try to find the maximum The right way, which would allow more accurate prediction of the next outbreak. This is a rather difficult task, but there are still small successes. Some of the experts are trying to determine the behavior of the sun before flares in the smallest detail, while others have been studying the physical mechanisms of a solar flare for many years. It may be worth combining both methods (synoptic and casual) to obtain the most reliable results.
Solar flares can negatively affect children, especially those who are prone to various diseases.
In principle, it is not difficult to explain why magnetic storms have such an impact on people's well-being. Basically, our body consists of water, and water, as you know, is an excellent conductor. So it turns out that when certain processes occur in the atmosphere, bursts of energy, and so on, our body reacts in a certain way.
It is not at all mythical that the Sun also affects male spermatozoa. Vitamin D is of great importance in the conception of children. Employees of the University of Copenhagen interesting research, during which it was concluded that in the representatives of the stronger sex, who have a good level of vitamin D in the blood, spermatozoa are more mobile. So you need to be sunflower rays more often if you want to continue your family in the near future.
The phenomenon of fish biting also depends on the sun. It would seem, how can a heavenly body influence a fish? But experienced fishermen know when the fish are biting best. For example, you need to catch carp before sunrise.
Since we live on planet Earth, we should be more attentive to the world around us. There is no need to overestimate or underestimate the role of the sun and moon in our lives. In fact, everything is natural, everything goes as it should, so you just need to listen to those mysteries of nature that mankind has already been able to solve.
solar flares- these are processes of energy release (light, thermal and kinetic), unique in their power, in the atmosphere of the Sun. Flashes one way or another cover all layers of the solar atmosphere: photosphere, chromosphere and solar corona. Duration solar flares often does not exceed several minutes, and the amount of energy released during this time can reach billions of megatons in TNT equivalent. solar flares, as a rule, occur at the points of interaction of sunspots of opposite magnetic polarity, or, more precisely, near the neutral line of the magnetic field separating the regions of north and south polarity. Frequency and Power solar flares depend on the phase of the solar cycle.
Energy solar flare manifests itself in many forms: in the form of radiation (optical, ultraviolet, X-ray and even gamma), in the form of energetic particles (protons and electrons), as well as in the form of hydrodynamic plasma flows. Power outbreaks often determined by the brightness of the x-rays they produce. The strongest solar flares belong to X-ray class X. To class M belong solar flares, which have a radiation power 10 times less than outbreaks class X, and to class C - outbreaks with 10 times less power than class M flares. The current classification solar flares is based on observational data from several artificial Earth satellites, mainly from GOES satellites.
Observations of solar flares in the H-alpha line
solar flares are often observed using filters that make it possible to isolate the H-alpha line of the hydrogen atom located in the red region of the spectrum from the total radiation flux. Telescopes operating in the H-alpha line are now installed in most ground-based solar observatories, some of which take photographs of the Sun in this line every few seconds. An example of such a photograph is the image of the Sun shown above this text, taken in the H-alpha line at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. It clearly shows the ejection of a solar prominence during a limbic solar flare October 10, 1971 Movie (4.2MB mpeg) recorded during outbreaks, shows this process in dynamics.
In the H-alpha line, so-called two-ribbon solar flares, when during a flare two extended bright radiating structures are formed in the chromosphere, having the form of parallel ribbons, elongated along the neutral line of the magnetic field (the line separating groups of sunspots of opposite polarity). A characteristic example double ribbon solar flare is the event of August 7, 1972 shown in the following movie (2.2MB mpeg) . This is very famous flash, which occurred between the flights of Apollo 16 (April) and Apollo 17 (December), the last trips of a man to the moon. If an error were made in the calculation of the flight time, and one of the crews would be on the surface of the Moon during this outbreaks, the consequences would be disastrous for the astronauts. Subsequently, this possible situation formed the basis of the fantastic work "Cosmos" ("Space") by James Michener (James Michener), which described the fictitious Apollo mission, which lost its crew due to exposure to radiation from strong solar flare.
Solar flares and magnetic fields
At present, there is no doubt that the key to understanding solar flares should be sought in the structure and dynamics of the solar magnetic field. It is known that if the structure of the field in the vicinity of sunspots becomes very complex, then the lines of force can begin to reconnect with each other, which leads to the rapid release of magnetic energy and the energy of electric currents associated with the magnetic field. As a result of various physical processes, this primary energy of the field is then converted into the thermal energy of the plasma, the energy of fast particles and other forms of energy observed in a solar flare. The study of these processes and the establishment of the reasons why solar flare, is one of the main problems of modern solar physics, which is still far from a final answer.
More recently, news has appeared all over the media that several flares have been recorded on the sun, and they will continue right up to Sunday. Of course, this phenomenon Lately quite common, but this does not mean that much is known about it. Therefore, we decided to tell you why solar flares occur and for whom they are dangerous.
Why solar flares happen
This phenomenon occurs because the sun has its own magnetic field. And outbreaks occur in areas where, under conditions limited space face magnetic fields opposite polarity. Despite the fact that we already understand what solar flares are, scientists still cannot predict when they will occur. Therefore, they usually take us by surprise.
Why are solar flares dangerous?
First of all, it should be said that solar flares are the most dangerous for those who are in space. So during this period, all astronauts receive a very large dose of radiation.
But, despite the fact that the Earth is protected by the ozone layer, solar flares are very dangerous here. Especially for people who have problems with the cardiovascular system. On such days, the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes increases quite a lot. In addition, magnetic storms can also cause headache, insomnia, pressure drops, changeable mood and a general breakdown.
It is worth noting that due to solar flares, magnetic storms begin on Earth, which affect people in this way. But not only, also, interruptions in the operation of radio engineering systems are possible: communication, navigation.
Also, it is worth adding that many scientists are confident that geomagnetic storms can greatly affect a person. But there is no cure for this. Some pills can only worsen a person's condition during this period.
Recall that in the past few days there have been two outbreaks in the sun, and scientists say that they will continue for several more days.