Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Fluid_thinker on 24/10/2012 14:58:21

Title: Helioseismology - How do you listen to the Sun?
Post by: Fluid_thinker on 24/10/2012 14:58:21

I understand we can use seismology to study our Sun and from that deduce the internal layered construct.

Based on the fact that Seismology is pressure waves like sound.

How do we detect/listen/analyse the Sun, when we have effectively have a vacuum in space between the Earth and the Sun?

'No one can hear you scream in Space' or a Vacuum

Title: Re: Helioseismology - How do you listen to the Sun?
Post by: distimpson on 24/10/2012 17:16:44

http://solar-center.stanford.edu/singing/ (http://solar-center.stanford.edu/singing/)

http://soi.stanford.edu/results/sounds.html (http://soi.stanford.edu/results/sounds.html)

Title: Re: Helioseismology - How do you listen to the Sun?
Post by: Fluid_thinker on 25/10/2012 14:01:29

So we do not actually listen to the sun on the Earth by pressure waves being detected locally.

We are instead observing and measuring oscillations in the Sun and converting them to sound.

As the surface of the sun is a boiling dynamic seething mass, how can we detect anything other than the largest of oscillations

Title: Re: Helioseismology - How do you listen to the Sun?
Post by: Ophiolite on 25/10/2012 18:12:34

I recommend this book:

Sunquakes, Probing the Interior of the Sun   J. B. Zirker The John Hopkins University Press 2003

Title: Re: Helioseismology - How do you listen to the Sun?
Post by: butchmurray on 25/10/2012 18:25:28

This is an excellent PBS Nova episode that covered that very subject.

http://video.pbs.org/video/2226474716

Starting at about 11 minutes they discuss helioseismology.