The sun serves as a fundamental source of heat and light in the solar system, with its energy generated in the core through the collision of hydrogen ions and helium. Nuclear Fusion. Consequently, while the surface temperature of the sun is extremely hot by Earth’s standards—approximately 10,000°F or 5,600°C—it is relatively cooler compared to the center, which reaches around 27,000,000°F or 15,000,000°C.
Heat and light travel from the sun’s center to its surface via two main processes: one is similar to how the sun heats the Earth, known as radiation. Here, energy moves outward through light particles, or photons. Conversely, heat transfer occurs on Earth through the process of convection, with cold gas descending while warm gas rises. This creates a swirling motion within the sun, where hot gases near the core move upward and cooler gases sink back down.
A diagram of the sun illustrating how convection and radiation influence heat movement at different depths. “Sun poster” by Kelvinsong is licensed under CC by-sa 3.0.
The interplay of radiation, convection, and the sun’s varying rotational speeds based on distance from the equator results in uneven heating of the solar surface, leading to both hot and cold areas. While scientists have a grasp of this general pattern, discrepancies exist between models predicting solar surface temperatures and observed data. The model estimates a temperature of around 2,000 Kelvin (k), translating to approximately 3,100°F or 1,700°C for the coldest sections, yet actual findings indicate these regions are around 4,000k, or about 6,700°F or 3,700°C.
This paradox highlights the challenges in understanding heat transfer within the sun. Several unknown factors may lead to the observed discrepancy of over 1,000k in the coldest spots. A team of researchers investigated one possible explanation for the missing heat by conducting both two-dimensional and three-dimensional simulations. They hypothesized that when convection separates neutral charged gases from the sun’s center, negatively charged electrons are driven by a magnetic field near the sun’s surface, generating additional heat. This phenomenon is referred to as Thermal Farley-Bnemann’s instability, or TFBI Turbulence.
The team employed two computer programs, ebysus and Epic, to simulate these cold bubbles in the outer layer of the sun, known as the Chrome area, over a span of 8-10 milliseconds. They incorporated variables such as material density, magnetic field strength, and collision frequency into their simulations. The TFBI turbulence was then integrated into the 2D ebysus model, which was compared with heating observed in the EPPIC simulations in both 2D and 3D.
The primary distinction between the programs lies in how they treat gas: ebysus models it as a swirling liquid, facilitating easier movement calculations, while Epic views it as a collection of bouncing particles that generate electromagnetic fields, complicating calculations. They conducted five simulations: one in 2D with EBYSUS, which was the fastest yet potentially the least accurate, one in 2D with Epic, which was slower but arguably more realistic, and two in 3D with EPPIC, which, while the slowest, yielded the most accurate outcomes.
The results from their 2D simulations indicated that turbulent heating could increase temperatures in cold regions by over 700,000. Similar findings were observed in the 3D simulations as well. The team contended that their simulations demonstrated how turbulence from the TFBI could augment heat in the sun’s cooler areas beyond what convection and radiation contribute. Nonetheless, they recommended that future research extend over longer time frames to fully grasp the implications of these processes. Additionally, comparisons between 2D and 3D simulations suggest that scientists can effectively investigate this phenomenon using quicker 2D fluid models, achieving results comparable to more complex and resource-intensive 3D particle models.
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Source: sciworthy.com
