ASTR 114 Chapter Notes - Chapter Lecture12 and introduction of 13: Van Allen Radiation Belt, Coronal Mass Ejection, Solar Wind
21 Oct 2018
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Lecture 12: e sun and space weather on earth. We can use the pattern of re ections during earthquakes to deduce the interior structure of earth. History: earth was probably molten when formed and remelted due to bombardment by space debris. Coronal mass ejections send bursts of energetic charged particles out through the solar system. Charged particles streaming from the sun can disrupt electrical power grids and can disable communications satellites. The magnetosphere is the region around the earth where charged particles from the solar wind are trapped. These charged particles are trapped in areas called the van allen belts, where they spiral around the magnetic eld lines. Near the poles, the van allen belts intersect the atmosphere. The charged particles can escape; when they do, they create glowing light called aurorae. Lecture 13 motion and distance of stars. The total number of stars, even in our local neighborhood, is virtually beyond our ability to count.
