RSS Feeds

Earth Science

Space Science

Life Science

Fields of Scientific Study

Nanotechnology

Cancer

Definitions of The Fields of Scientific Study

Scientists unveil mysteries of plasma jets on the Sun

July 29, 2004

Scientists at the University of Sheffield and Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab have solved a 127-year-old problem about the origin of supersonic plasma jets (spicules) which continuously shoot up from the Sun. Their findings are published in today's edition of Nature.

Spicules, are jets of gas or plasma that are propelled upwards from the surface of the Sun at speeds of about 90,000 kilometres per hour. They are fairly short lived, with each jet lasting only about 5 minutes, but reach heights of 5000 kilometres above the Sun's surface. Their short life span and small size (less than 600 km) have meant that, although there are about 100,000 spicules at any one time in the Sun's chromosphere, until now they have remained largely unexplained.

One of the reasons why these energetic jets are studied is because thay may contribute to solar wind. The solar wind is a stream of particles that sweeps past the Earth's orbit and any disturbance to it can cause changes to the Earth's upper atmosphere and space environment, damaging satellites in orbit.

The research team solved the problem of how spicules are formed by taking simultaneous images of both the surface of the Sun and the spicules using the Swedish Solar telescope and the TRACE satellite, which demonstrated that the jets often occur periodically (every five minutes or so) at the same location. The research team were able to use this data to develop a computer model of the Sun's atmosphere, which showed that spicules are caused by sound waves on the surface of the Sun, that also occur periodically every five minutes or so.

Professor Erdélyi von F'�y-Siebenbürgen from the University of Sheffield and one of the leaders of the study explains, "The sound waves on the Sun's surface are usually damped before they reach the atmosphere. However sometimes the sound waves pass through the damping zone and leak into the solar atmosphere. Our computer model shows that when this happens the sound waves develop into shock waves, which propel matter upwards, forming a supersonic jet of plasma, or spicule.

"We measured the waves at the surface of the Sun and applied our model to try to predict when spicules would shoot up and were pleased to find that the model predicts them well.

"Now we know how spicules are formed, scientists will be able to research them more thoroughly and start examining if, and how much, they contribute to the solar wind."

Sheffield, University of

Science Research Departments

	Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit for Young Scientists by Scientific Explorer Mind blowing experiments to delight and educate young scientists! Erupt a color changing volcano. Mix up magic ooze with a mind of its own. Play with sand that never gets wet. Mix safe chemicals and watch colors change before your eyes. You'll amaze yourself and your friends as you explore the science behind these truly remarkable reactions.
	The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You! (Everything Kids Series) by Tom Robinson (Author) Science has never been so easy - or so much fun! With The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book, all you need to do is gather a few household items and you can recreate dozens of mind-blowing, kid-tested science experiments. High school science teach Tom Robinson shows you how to expand your scientific horizons - from biology to chemistry to physics to outer space. You'll discover answers to questions like: Is it possible to blow up a balloon without actually blowing into it? What is inside coins? Can a magnet ever be "turned off"? Do toilets always flush in the same direction? Can a swimming pool be cleaned with just the breath of one person? Get ready to enter the laboratory and learn how to conduct cool experiments, understand scientific terms...
	Scientific Explorer's Disgusting Science - A Kit for Studying the Science of Revolting Things by Scientific Explorer Grow your own friendly germs and fuzzy molds. Mix up a batch of coagulating fake blood. Even make a stinky intestine. learn the science behind unmentionable bodily functions while doing some truly NASTY Experiments. Ages 8+
	The Science Book: Everything You Need to Know About the World and How It Works (National Geographic) by National Geographic (Author), Marshall Brain (Foreword) A delight for the casual reader, yet so complete and wide-ranging that science buffs and students will welcome it, The Science Book encapsulates centuries of scientific thought in one richly illustrated volume. Natural phenomena, revolutionary inventions, and the most up-to-date investigations are explained in detailed text, and 2,000 vivid illustrationsincluding 3-D graphics and pictogramsmake the information even more accessible and amazing to discover. The Science Book offers both a general overview of topics for the browsing reader and more specific information for those seeking deeper insight into a particular subject. Six major sections, ranging from the universe and planet Earth to biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, encompass everything from microscopic life...
	Magic School Bus Journey into the Human Body Science Kit by Young Scientist Club The Magic School Bus and Ms. Frizzle take Young Scientists on a wild ride into the human body with these breathtaking experiments. Young Scientists bend bones, make joints, map taste buds, expand lungs, build a stethoscope, measure lung capacities and heart rates, perform the iodine starch test, spin glitter, simulate synovial fluid, create a human body poster, and much, much more! This exciting kit includes a life-size poster with eight sheets of body part stickers. So put on your seat belts, students, and get ready to discover The Human Body!
	The Complete Book of Science, Grades 5-6 by School Specialty Publishing (Author) The Complete Book of Science for grades 5 to 6 teaches children important science skills! Children complete a variety of exercises that help them develop a number of skills in this 352 page workbook. Including a complete answer key this workbook features a user-friendly format perfect for browsing, research, and review. Over 4 million in print! The best-selling Complete Book series offers a full complement of instruction, activities, and information about a single topic or subject area. Containing over 30 titles and encompassing preschool to grade 8 this series helps children succeed in every subject area! ...
	Scientific Explorer's Tasty Science Chemistry in the Kitchen Kit by Scientific Explorer Who knew science could taste so good? With this kit, you’ll whip up cupcakes, cookies, candy, and more—all in the name of science! Learn what makes cakes rise, candy crystallize, and more real chemistry happen in the kitchen. Tasty Science is packed with ingredients, recipes, activity cards, a test tube laboratory, and lots more to explore the science of taste.
	ScienceWiz Inventions Experiment Kit and Book 13 Experiments, Inventions by Sciencewiz This kit includes a 40 page full-color book and materials. Years of testing with children has produced this carefully crafted set of doable projects. Build, Build, Build! a spinning motor a clicking telegraph a light flashing generator a real radio Step-by-step, highly visual instructions lead a child successfully through each invention. Incredible illustrations present central scientific concepts, allowing children to discover the "why" as well as the "how". The use of everyday materials demystifies the way common electronic components work. Although Inventions is designed for 8 year olds and up, this title has had an extraordinary history and following. It has been used at MIT to mentor high school students in physics. It has been used at U.C. Berkeley to mentor women...
	What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (Author), Paul Meisel (Author) Did you ever walk through a wall? Drink a glass of blocks? Have you ever played with a lemonade doll, or put on milk for socks? This latest addition to the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series introduces the youngest readers to an important science concept: the differences between solids, liquids, and gases. Any child who wants to know why he can't walk through a wall will enjoy Kathleen Zoehfeld's simple text and Paul Meisel's playful illustrations.
	Scientific Explorer's Spa Science Chemistry Kit by Scientific Explorer Whip your bath into a frothy fizzing sea of color and fragrance. Make colorful, fragrant bath gels, bath fizzers, spa lotion, bath balm, a face mask, and shampoo. Mix colors and fragrances to creat your own product line with secret and exclusive mixtures. Explore the science of gels, fragrance and fizzers. Mixing fragrances in the bathtub is a delight for both girls and boys. It’s one of the best ways to introduce them to the fun of science. Kids will spend hours in the tub with this kit mixing ingredients to make foaming frothing baths and smelling potions and conducting science experiments to see how scents affect our alertness, moods and memories. Comparing the responses of siblings, parents and friends makes this a shared adventure the entire family will enjoy