THE SUN

The Sun is a massive, hot ball of plasma, inflated and heated by

energy produced by nuclear fusion reactions at its core.

Why to study sun?

• Energy Source for Earth

• Understanding Solar processes
• Formation of Solar System
• Space weather prediction
• Better understanding of stars
science.nasa.gov

THE STRUCTURE OF THE SUN

Convective Zone : Avg. 2,000,000° C ; 200,000 km from center
When the photons reach the convective zone, they pick up heat and
expand, thereby reducing its density. As the density of the plasma
decreases, it allows convective currents to rise, in columns, and move
the Sun's energy towards the surface.

Radiative Zone : 7,000,000° C - 2,000,000°C - 25 % of to 70% of R

The energy generated in the core is carried by light (photons)
via radiation bouncing from particle to particle through the
radiative zone. An individual photon takes about a million
years to finally reach the convective zone.

The Core : 15,000,000° C 175,000 km from the center

Sun's core is the central region where nuclear fusion takes
place consuming hydrogen to form helium. These reactions
release the energy that ultimately leaving surface as light

Photosphere: 5526.85° C to 3726.85; 700,000 km

The Photosphere is the visible surface of the Sun. Due to the
thermal convections in the convective zone, a granular structure
can be seen. These granules have irregular shape and are 700 to
1000 km large.

Chromosphere: 6000°C to about 20,000°C.

The Chromosphere is an irregular layer above the Photosphere which can be
seen during solar eclipses; Chromosphere has prominent emissions of H-
alpha lines due to higher temperatures
 MAGNETIC FIELD
The magnetic field of the sun is dynamic.
Due to the complex movement of the plasma
of the sun, the suns magnetic field is
constantly shifting from the poles to the
equator and back to the poles again.
This is the magnetic cycle of the Sun, and it
takes 22 years for the magnetic field to flip
and return to its original position
Credits : imagees.nasa.gov

In solar maximum, the location of

sunspots are near mid latitudes
(30° N or 30° S)
During solar minimum, the
location of sunspots are near the
equator.
SUNSPOTS:
Sunspots are cooler regions on photosphere of
sun which appears dark and where magnetic fields
are particularly strong thereby preventing some
of its heat and light energy from coming to the
surface of the sun. They typically form in pairs.

• Umbra
inner darker region
(1000 – 1900 K cooler
than quiet sun)

• Penumbra :
Outer less dark region
(250- 400 k cooler
than quiet sun) which
Credit : sciencemsfc.nasa.gov distinguishes pores
Credit : windows2universe.org
from sunspots

11 YEAR SOLAR CYCLE

• The 11-year solar cycle, also known as Schwabe
cycle are caused by the rotation of the sun around
it's on axis
• The cycle is tracked mainly by the number and
location of sunspots and is essential in predicting
solar weather and activity.
• The solar cycle peaks when the sun's magnetic field
is toroidal as the number of sunspots increases
during that period due to the complex movement of
the magnetic fields.
• Similarly, solar minimum occurs during periods
when the suns magnetic field is poloidal so solar
Credits : science.nasa.gov activities decreases.
 SOLAR FLARES
High energy explosions on the surface of the Sun.
In which, an oppositely directed magnetic field
tangled up and releases vast energy at once.

www.france24.com

CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

• Large ejections of plasma, energy and radiation from
the sun’s atmosphere
• More energetic than solar flares, occur due to intense
magnetic activity.
• Occur more often at the time of solar maximum
• Triggers disturbance in earths magnetosphere causing
auroras by magnetic reconnection
Soho.publicdata

CORONAL HEATING SOLAR WINDS

MYSTERY A stream of energized, charged
particles, primarily electrons and
protons, flowing outward from the
Sun, triggered by coronal holes
S. Habbal/M. Druckmüller/Nasa

They extend so far that they form an

interplanetary magnetic field (IMF),
which surrounds all the planets in
our solar system!

The problem which questions that why the

corona’s temperature is greater than sun’s
surface
Candidate theories:
The wave heating theory- Waves carry energy
from solar interior to the solar chromosphere
and corona
The Nano-flares heating- The dissipation of
impulsive energy via magnetic reconnection in
solar corona https://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/SolarWind.shtml
 SOLAR MISSIONS : VISITING THE SUN
SOLAR & HELIOSPHERIC
KODAIKANAL OBSERVATORY OBSERVATORY (SOHO)

www.wikipedia.org

www.IIIA/kodaikonalobservatory.org Launched in December 1995, the joint

• Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (Indian NASA-ESA Solar & Heliospheric
Institute of Astrophysics) Observatory mission (SOHO), was
• located in the Palani Hill range in Tamil designed to study the Sun inside out.
Nadu. SOHO has made numerous significant
• established in 1899 as Solar Observatory discoveries since its launch in 1995 and is
still operational. It includes :
Telescopes and instruments at KSO : 1. Helioseismology 2. Solar Wind
H-alpha telescope Radio Spectrograph 3. Comet Discoveries 4. Space Weather
www.wikipedia.org 5. Solar Cycle Observations 6. Space
WARM Telescope Twin Telescope Environment
Full-disk Photoheliograph
ADITYA L1
PARKER SOLAR PROBE The Aditya-L1 mission is an Indian space
On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA's mission dedicated to studying the Sun.
Parker Solar Probe became the first Launched by the Indian Space Research
spacecraft to fly through the corona – the Organisation (ISRO), Aditya-L1 aims to
Sun’s upper atmosphere – in 2021. observe the Sun from a special vantage
point known as the Lagrangian point L1.
Here are some of the
specific goals and Payloads of
instruments on the Aditya-L1
Parker Solar Probe: mission:-
Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)
• 1.FIELDS (Electromagnetic Fields Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
Investigation)
• 1. Measuring Solar Wind Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)
• 2. SWEAP (Solar Wind Electrons Alphas High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer(HEL1OS)
and Protons)
Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)
• 3. Measure Magnetic Fields
• 4. Characterize Solar Energetic Particles Plasma Analyzer Package For Aditya (PAPA)
• 5. Explore the Solar Environment Magnetometers