Musical sounds created by longitudinal vibrations within the Sun's atmosphere, have been recorded and accurately studied for the first time by experts at the University of Sheffield, shedding light on the Sun's magnetic atmosphere.
Using state-of-the-art mathematical theory combined with satellite
observations, a team of solar physicists from the University have
captured the music on tape and revealed the harmonious sounds are caused
by the movement of giant magnetic loops in the solar corona - the
outermost, mysterious, and least understood layer of the Sun's
atmosphere. Most importantly, the team studied how this sound is
decaying, giving an unprecedented insight into the physics of the solar
corona.
High-resolution images taken by a number of satellites show that the solar corona is filled with large banana-shaped magnetic structures known as coronal loops. It is thought that these giant magnetic loops,
some of them over a few 100,000 km long, play a fundamental role in
governing the physics of the corona and are responsible for huge
atmospheric explosions that occur in the atmosphere, known as solar
flares.
These giant coronal loops have also been observed to
undergo periodic (oscillatory) motion, which can be thought of as
someone plucking a guitar string (transversal oscillations) or blowing
the wind-pipe instrument (longitudinal oscillations). With the length
and thickness of the string fixed, the pitch of the note is determined
by the tension of the string and the tone is made up of the harmonics of
the modes of oscillation.
In this sense, the solar atmosphere
is constantly pervaded by the music of the coronal loops. The coronal
music also provides scientists with a unique and unprecedented tool to
study the magnetic solar atmosphere, as the motion of these loops is
determined by their local surroundings. This technique is known as solar
magneto-seismology and is very similar to the seismology methods used
by geologists studying earthquakes.
Studying this magnetic
solar atmosphere will help the team, which is headed-up by Professor
Robertus von Fáy-Siebenbürgen and includes postgraduate student Richard
Morton and postdoctoral research associate Dr Youra Taroyan, all from
the Dept of Applied Mathematics, make further breakthroughs into
understanding one of the key and central unresolved problems of modern
astrophysics, i.e. the heating of solar and tellar coronal plasmas, and
reveal the underlying physical processes: Are there millions of
localised magnetic explosions releasing the energy necessary to maintain
the corona at millions of degrees or is the physics related to the
numerous waves propagating from the internal regions of the Sun toward
its outer regions, reaching even space around the Earth's atmosphere.
The
discovery was presented by the University experts to an audience of MPs
both from the House of Commons and the House of Lords at the House of
Commons Marquee, as well as and senior scientists representing
prestigious institutions such as the Royal Society, after being selected
by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee.
The next step for
the team will be to develop cutting edge numerical modelling that will
be able to give further insight into the sub-resolution properties of
coronal loops, i.e. on spatial scales that are not even observable with
the latest high-resolution satellites available to scientist.
This
is the second solar related breakthrough made by experts at the
University. The way in which the solar corona is heated to temperatures
of over a million degrees had, until recently, remained a long-standing
puzzle of solar and space physics, as this region of the sun is even
further away from the centre of energy production than the underlying
solar surface. However Professor von Fáy-Siebenbürgen and his team last
month solved this enigma and revealed that Transition Region Quakes -
described by the experts as 'mega-tsunamis' - power the lower base of
the solar corona.
The news comes as the University of Sheffield
launches a unique venture entitled Project Sunshine, led by the Faculty
of Science. The Project aims to unite scientists across the traditional
boundaries in both the pure and applied sciences to harness the power of
the sun and tackle the biggest challenge facing the world today:
meeting the increasing food and energy needs of the world´s population
in the context of an uncertain climate and global environment change. It
is hoped that Project Sunshine will change the way scientists think and
work and become the inspiration for a new generation of scientists
focused on solving the world´s problems.
Professor Robertus von
Fáy-Siebenbürgen from the University of Sheffield's Department of
Applied Mathematics and Head of SP2RC, said: "The results of our latest
coronal research, presented in the Parliament at Westminster, allow us
to gain a fundamentally new insight into the fascinating but at the same
time very mysterious solar atmosphere. I'm most proud to have such
talented young scientists within my research group and department. The
invitation by SET for Britain and our collaborative research efforts
clearly demonstrate our international leadership position in the field
of solar physics."
Video from the Transitional Region and Coronal
Explorer (TRACE), showing eruptions from the solar corona. Please note this video has no audio:
Musical sounds created by longitudinal vibrations within the
Sun's atmosphere, have been recorded and accurately studied for the
first time by experts at the University of Sheffield, shedding light on
the Sun's magnetic atmosphere.
Using
state-of-the-art mathematical theory combined with satellite
observations, a team of solar physicists from the University have
captured the music on tape and revealed the harmonious sounds are caused
by the movement of giant magnetic loops in the solar corona - the
outermost, mysterious, and least understood layer of the Sun's
atmosphere. Most importantly, the team studied how this sound is
decaying, giving an unprecedented insight into the physics of the solar
corona.
High-resolution
images taken by a number of satellites show that the solar corona is
filled with large banana-shaped magnetic structures known as coronal
loops. It is thought that these giant magnetic loops, some of them over a
few 100,000 km long, play a fundamental role in governing the physics
of the corona and are responsible for huge atmospheric explosions that
occur in the atmosphere, known as solar flares.
These giant
coronal loops have also been observed to undergo periodic (oscillatory)
motion, which can be thought of as someone plucking a guitar string
(transversal oscillations) or blowing the wind-pipe instrument
(longitudinal oscillations). With the length and thickness of the string
fixed, the pitch of the note is determined by the tension of the string
and the tone is made up of the harmonics of the modes of oscillation.
In
this sense, the solar atmosphere is constantly pervaded by the music of
the coronal loops. The coronal music also provides scientists with a
unique and unprecedented tool to study the magnetic solar atmosphere, as
the motion of these loops is determined by their local surroundings.
This technique is known as solar magneto-seismology and is very similar
to the seismology methods used by geologists studying earthquakes.
Studying
this magnetic solar atmosphere will help the team, which is headed-up
by Professor Robertus von Fáy-Siebenbürgen and includes postgraduate
student Richard Morton and postdoctoral research associate Dr Youra
Taroyan, all from the Dept of Applied Mathematics, make further
breakthroughs into understanding one of the key and central unresolved
problems of modern astrophysics, i.e. the heating of solar and tellar
coronal plasmas, and reveal the underlying physical processes: Are there
millions of localised magnetic explosions releasing the energy
necessary to maintain the corona at millions of degrees or is the
physics related to the numerous waves propagating from the internal
regions of the Sun toward its outer regions, reaching even space around
the Earth's atmosphere.
The discovery was presented by the
University experts to an audience of MPs both from the House of Commons
and the House of Lords at the House of Commons Marquee, as well as and
senior scientists representing prestigious institutions such as the
Royal Society, after being selected by the Parliamentary and Scientific
Committee.
The next step for the team will be to develop cutting
edge numerical modelling that will be able to give further insight into
the sub-resolution properties of coronal loops, i.e. on spatial scales
that are not even observable with the latest high-resolution satellites
available to scientist.
This is the second solar related
breakthrough made by experts at the University. The way in which the
solar corona is heated to temperatures of over a million degrees had,
until recently, remained a long-standing puzzle of solar and space
physics, as this region of the sun is even further away from the centre
of energy production than the underlying solar surface. However
Professor von Fáy-Siebenbürgen and his team last month solved this
enigma and revealed that Transition Region Quakes - described by the
experts as 'mega-tsunamis' - power the lower base of the solar corona.
The
news comes as the University of Sheffield launches a unique venture
entitled Project Sunshine, led by the Faculty of Science. The Project
aims to unite scientists across the traditional boundaries in both the
pure and applied sciences to harness the power of the sun and tackle the
biggest challenge facing the world today: meeting the increasing food
and energy needs of the world´s population in the context of an
uncertain climate and global environment change. It is hoped that
Project Sunshine will change the way scientists think and work and
become the inspiration for a new generation of scientists focused on
solving the world´s problems.
Professor Robertus von
Fáy-Siebenbürgen from the University of Sheffield's Department of
Applied Mathematics and Head of SP2RC, said: "The results of our latest
coronal research, presented in the Parliament at Westminster, allow us
to gain a fundamentally new insight into the fascinating but at the same
time very mysterious solar atmosphere. I'm most proud to have such
talented young scientists within my research group and department. The
invitation by SET for Britain and our collaborative research efforts
clearly demonstrate our international leadership position in the field
of solar physics."
Video from the Transitional Region and Coronal
Explorer (TRACE), showing eruptions from the solar corona. Please note
this video has no audio:
Musical sounds created by longitudinal vibrations within the Sun's atmosphere, have been recorded and accurately studied for the first time by experts at the University of Sheffield, shedding light on the Sun's magnetic atmosphere.