An Ultimate Guide to Solar Physics

Introduction

 

One of the most fascinating things about Physics is that there are always theories that can prove something unique over time. And the vast subject of Physics consists of many different subcategories that involve different fields of science. 

 

Astrophysics is one of them, and it’s so huge that scientists are still calculating the possibilities of other universes beyond ours.

 

We still don’t know what our own universe is made of. There’s a branch of Astrophysics devoted to finding answers related to the brightest star-The Sun. Scientists are researching stars, planets, asteroids, comets, lunar water, and many more. And the study of the Sun is also known to us as Solar Physics.

 

Here we are going to the Ultimate Guide to Solar Physics and what our renowned researchers have to say about Sun.

 

What is Solar Physics?

 

Solar physics is an astrophysics field that focuses on the study of the Sun. It studies comprehensive measurements that can only be obtained from our nearest star. 

 

The study itself includes Fluid physics, plasma physics, including magnetic fluid physics, seismic science, particle physics, atomic physics, nuclear physics, star evolution, space physics, dichotomy, radiation transfer, applied optics, signal data, pure physics, astronomical physics, overlapping with many disciplines of computer science, processing, computer vision, computational science, and solar astronomical physics of stellar physics.

 

In solar physics, there is a gap between related fields and observations. Because the Sun is particularly positioned for close-up observations, observational astrophysics (of distant stars) is used (other stars cannot be resolved near the spatial or temporal resolution possible by the Sun). Heliophysics is significant because it serves as a "physics laboratory" for the study of plasma physics.

 

For a clear understanding of Solar Physics, here’s a small explanation of all the Physics Studies required.

 

1. Fluid Physics

 

Fluid Physics, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a branch of practical physics concerned with the flow of liquids and gases." In other words, Fluid Physics is all about fluids research and the influence of forces on fluids research.

 

2. Plasma Physics

 

The study of energetic particles and fluids that react with self-consistent electric and magnetic fields is termed plasma physics. This is a fundamental study field with numerous applications including space and astrophysics, controlled fusion, accelerator physics, and beam storage.

 

3. Seismic Science

 

The scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or other planet-like bodies is known as seismology. Environmental consequences of earthquakes are being studied in this discipline.

 

4. Atomic Physics

 

Atomic physics is the study of atoms as an enclosed system of electrons and an atomic nucleus. It is chiefly concerned with the distribution of electrons around the nucleus, as well as the activities that influence these arrangements to change.

 

5. Nuclear Physics

 

Nuclear physics is the branch of physics that investigates atomic nuclei, their constituents, and interactions, as well as other types of nuclear matter. You should not confuse Nuclear Physics with Atomic Physics as they are different. One deals with only the nuclei while the other deals with the whole atom.

 

6. Dichotomy

 

In biology, a dichotomy divides an organism into two groups based on traits that are generally found in one group but not in the other. A dichotomy is a form of bifurcation with recurrent bifurcations in botany. That is, it emphasizes branching rather than dividing.

 

7. Pure Physics

 

Pure physics is the foundation of the Physical Science discipline. Quantum Physics, Mathematical Physics, Mechanics, Optics, Solid State Physics, EM Theory, Electrostatics, Magnetostatics, Fluid Mechanics, and Electronics are all covered.

 

8. Computational Physics

 

Computational physics is the computational study of scientific issues; it integrates computer science, physics, and applied mathematics to create scientific answers to complicated problems.

 

9. Heliophysics

 

Heliophysics is the study of the Sun and its impacts on Earth and the rest of the solar system, notably solar flares. 

 

And these were only a few branches of Physics that scientists may learn deeply so as to understand the Sun.

 

(Suggested blog: What is Active Solar Energy?)

 

Sun and its Behavior

 

The sun, our life-giving source In everyday life, a star may appear to be an unchanging object, yet a thorough examination of this star reveals that it is significantly more intriguing than we realize. 

 

The study of the Sun advanced significantly beginning in the early 17th century, with the invention of the telescope. 

 

In the last three decades, the development of space-based telescopes (SOHO, ACE, WIND, STEREO, SDO, IRIS, Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, and so on) has made some astounding discoveries in this area while also raising some fundamental questions about the understanding of this star on short and long time scales.

 

About Solar Surface

 

Sunspots, plages, filaments, and network-bright sites are solar surface structures that serve as proxies for the Sun's magnetic field. As a result, ARIES (Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Space) may trace back the magnetic history of our life-giving star through long-term research of these properties.

 

The sun's mass accounts for 99.8 per cent of the total mass of our solar system. It is mostly constituted of hydrogen, with a trace of helium present in the form of plasma. 

 

The sun's primary body is made up of three layers: the core, the radiative zone, and the convection zone. The fusion of hydrogen in the sun's core results in a massive quantity of energy being emitted by the sun. Sunspots, solar flares, and prominence are all significant aspects of the sun's surface.

 

About Solar Dynamo

 

The solar dynamo is the mechanism responsible for the 11-year cycle and the long-term fluctuation. At ARIES, scientists research several areas of solar dynamo modelling as well as a numerical simulation in partnership with other scientists in India and overseas. These investigations have highlighted some fundamental concerns regarding our knowledge of fluids and plasma physics.

 

About Solar Atmosphere

 

The sun's atmosphere is divided into three layers: the photosphere, the chromosphere, and the corona. Even after several years of inquiry, there are still many mysteries in these levels. 

 

Some of these unresolved topics, such as coronal heating and the magnetic field of the solar corona, are the main focus for Researchers. 

 

Furthermore, some transient occurrences, including flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), as well as waves and loop oscillations, have their origins in these layers.

 

About CMEs

 

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are enormous plasma and magnetic field expulsions from the Sun's corona. They have the ability to release billions of tonnes of coronal material as well as carry an embedded magnetic field (frozen in flux) that is greater than the baseline solar wind interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). 

 

CMEs leave the Sun at rates ranging from less than 250 kilometres per second (km/s) to about 3000 km/s. The fastest Earth-directed CMEs can reach our planet in 15-18 hours. 

 

Slower CMEs might arrive over many days. They grow in size as they move away from the Sun, and bigger CMEs can cover over a fifth of the space between Earth and the Sun by the time they reach our planet.

 

Click on the link given below to Understand Solar Physics from Newton’s and Maxwell’s Standpoint.

---

---

Future of Solar Physics

 

The future of solar physics is built on fundamental unresolved difficulties in stellar physics. The Solar Optical Telescope (currently slated for launch early in the next decade by NASA) will be a critical step in improving the physics of stellar activity by allowing a microscopic analysis of the Sun's surface to examine the source of the action. 

 

Other stars' activity and X-ray emission are affected by many of the same factors, hence the research is critical in evaluating the relevance of X-ray emission from other stars.

 

“When you look at the stars and the galaxy, you feel that you are not just from any particular piece of land, but from the solar system.” -Kalpana Chawla

 

As beautifully said by Kalpana Chawla, we are just merely existing in the solar system like everything else. We are tiny objects where one asteroid can completely destroy the earth and make us all cease to exist. So, until the dawn of time, we should always look for answers that we imagine about our earth, our solar system, our Universe, and beyond.

 

You may wonder How Big is the Universe?