Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Vern on 31/01/2009 17:10:16

Title: Is the solar wind becoming weaker?
Post by: Vern on 31/01/2009 17:10:16

US Launches Space Probe (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/nasa-launches-spacecraft-to-study-solar-wind_100109157.html) to study the solar wind which seems to be getting weaker.
Info from the link:

Quote

Last month, data from the joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Space Agency Ulysses solar mission revealed that the solar wind is at a 50-year low, potentially opening up the solar system to more dangerous rays from outer space.

Researchers were not surprised that the solar wind has decreased. In fact, the amount of radiation sent off by the sun operates in an 11-year cycle, but this dip was lower than those recently observed. Still, it may be in line with centuries-long patterns, said Nancy Crooker, a research professor at Boston University.

I came across this while trying to find out the composition of the solar wind. Does anyone know of a study of this? I am interested in a quantification of the positive ions, negative ions, chunks of elements, etc.

Edit: And this from Wiki:

Quote

In the late 1990s the Ultraviolet Coronal Spectrometer (UVCS) instrument on board the SOHO spacecraft observed the acceleration region of the fast solar wind emanating from the poles of the sun, and found that the wind accelerates much faster than can be accounted for by thermodynamic expansion alone. Parker's model predicted that the wind should make the transition to supersonic flow at an altitude of about 4 solar radii from the photosphere; but the transition (or "sonic point") now appears to be much lower, perhaps only 1 solar radius above the photosphere, suggesting that some additional mechanism accelerates the solar wind away from the sun.

Do we now know what it is that accelerates the Solar Wind?

Title: Re: Is the solar wind becoming weaker?
Post by: demadone on 02/02/2009 14:50:52

Is the super accelerated wind only from the poles? May be the sun has a wind similar to that of a quasar (in moderate proportions ofcourse). They too have super super winds from the poles except their winds are almost at the speed of light (99.9% of the speed of light). It could be the dark energy effect.

Title: Re: Is the solar wind becoming weaker?
Post by: Vern on 02/02/2009 15:01:16

I'm not an expert in this field and was hoping to learn something. From Google I get the feeling that our previous models of solar dynamics are not predicting the dynamics shown by recent observations. The only thing I can think of that would accelerate ionic particles is an electromagnetic field, and this could be generated by winds in the lower solar atmosphere. But that is only a guess.

Title: Is the solar wind becoming weaker?
Post by: yor_on on 12/02/2009 15:48:21

This one is about the Genesis project 2001
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030105347.htm
And then, this one.
http://www.intute.ac.uk/sciences/hottopics/featured_48.html

And if that won't qualify you as a 'Solar wind' resource, I don't know what will?

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And this one speaks to me:)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070525092931.htm

Title: Is the solar wind becoming weaker?
Post by: Vern on 12/02/2009 18:10:42

All of the sources were very interesting. I can glean from them part of the answers I was looking for. It seems that the solar wind is composed mostly of hydrogen ions with a little helium thrown in at times of the fastest wind. I'm sure there are other elements in the wind, but didn't see mention of them.