ASTR Chap. 14 - The SUN

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Terms in this set (37)

At the center of the Sun, the temperature is roughly 15 million K

Hydrostatic equilibrium is a balance between:

Pressure and Gravity

The mass of the Sun is:

Nuclei of atoms are held together by gravity

When you turn on the heater in a car, the passengers in the front seat warm up first, then eventually the warm air gets to the passengers in the back seat. This is an example of energy being transported by:

When two atomic nuclei come together to form a new species of atom, this is called:

What does the curve of the graph of the density of the material inside the Sun as you move further away look like?

Which layer of the Sun makes up the majority of its interior?

The radiative zone

The net effect of the proton-proton chain is that four hydrogen nuclei are converted to one helium nucleus and _________ are released

Gamma ray photons, positrons and neutrinos

Why is hydrogen burning the main energy source for main-sequence stars?

Hydrogen is the most common element in stars.
Hydrogen nuclei have the smallest positive charge.
Hydrogen burning is the most efficient of all fusion or fission reactions.
Hydrogen can fuse at temperatures lower than other elements.

Neutrinos are particles with small masses that interact easily with normal matter.

Which force is responsible for holding the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom together?

Strong nuclear force

In the radiative zone inside the Sun, photons are transported from the core to the convective zone in a matter of seconds.

Our Sun is unique compared to the other stars in our galaxy because of its:

What do astronomers mean when they say that the Sun makes energy by hydrogen burning?

The Sun is fusing hydrogen into helium and releasing energy

If you hold on to one end of a metal spoon while placing the other end in a pot of boiling water, you will burn your hand. This is an example of energy being transported by:

The energy that fuels the Sun is generated:

Only in its core

Approximately how long does it take the photons released in nuclear reactions in the core of the Sun to exit the photosphere?

Some restaurants place food under infrared heat lamps so that it stays warm after it has been cooked. This is an example of energy being transported by:

The fact that the surface of the Sun rings like a bell lets us understand its interior better.

The Sun's corona has a temperature of approximately 1 million degrees. At what wavelength and in what part of the electromagnetic spectrum does its radiation peak?

3x10^9 m, X-rays

The temperature of the corona is much hotter than any other layer in the solar atmosphere.

The darkest part of a sunspot is called the:

Which of these can travel directly from the center of the Sun to Earth in about 8 minutes?

We know the Sun's corona is very hot because:

We observe absorption from highly ionized atoms of iron and calcium in its spectrum

If coronal holes covered a larger fraction of the Sun's surface, the solar wind would contain a higher density of particles.

When is the Sun most luminous?

when there are a maximum number of sunspots

By studying how the surface of the Sun vibrates like a struck bell we can determine its:

Interior density

What keeps the gas in the Sun's corona from flying away from the Sun?

Sun's Magnetic Field

What can be a result of an increase in solar activity?

The altitudes of orbiting satellites decrease.
Airplanes have trouble navigating.
Stronger auroras are seen.
Power grids can be damaged.

The Sun's internal magnetic field becomes tangled up over time because of:

Differential rotation

If you observe a maximum number of sunspots right now, how long would you have to wait to see the next solar maximum?

The Maunder Minimum was a 60-year period when:

Almost no sunspots occurred on the Sun

The Sun's magnetic field reverses direction every:

The detection of solar neutrinos confirms that:

The Sun's core is powered by proton-proton fusion

In a sunspot, the umbra is cooler than the penumbra.

Which of the layers of the Sun is located the furthest from the center of the Sun?