Module Identifier | PH38510 | ||||||||||||||
Module Title | THE SUN AND INTERPLANETARY SPACE | ||||||||||||||
Academic Year | 2007/2008 | ||||||||||||||
Co-ordinator | Dr Andrew R Breen | ||||||||||||||
Semester | Intended for use in future years | ||||||||||||||
Next year offered | N/A | ||||||||||||||
Next semester offered | N/A | ||||||||||||||
Other staff | Dr Xing Li, Dr Daniel Brown, Dr Andrew R Breen | ||||||||||||||
Pre-Requisite | Core Physics Modules at Level 2 | ||||||||||||||
Course delivery | Lecture | 20 lectures | |||||||||||||
Other | Workshop. 3 workshops/exercise classes | ||||||||||||||
Assessment |
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Sun (6) :
Structure of the Sun. Nuclear processes in the core. Solar neutrinos. Radiative and Convective zones. Solar seismology. Photosphere and Chromosphere. Sunspots, faculae, plages, prominences, filaments.Babcock-Leighton theory.
Solar Atmosphere (7) :
Corona. Coronal Heating.
Plasma density in corona and interplanetary space.
Scattering of light in the solar corona. Space-craft measurements.
Irregularities in corona and interplanetary space : Coronal features.
Dynamics of corona: Movement of visible features in the corona Doppler shift of spectral lines.
Coronal Activity: Flares. Solar radio emission. Bursts. X-Rays. Particle emission.
Solar wind and Heliosphere (5) :
Parker's theory. Solar breeze and solar wind. Effect of conductivity and viscosity. Spiral structure of Interplanetary magnetic field. Acceleration of solar wind near sun. Non-uniform flow and shock fronts. Terminator Shock.
Measurement of the solar wind. Interplanetary Scintillation and in-situ measurements.
Sun-Earth connections: Terrestrial effects of solar variability. Long period variations in activity. Solar wind and cosmic ray shielding. "Space climate".
Comets and Meteoroids (1):
Structure of Comets : Core, Coma, Cloud, Dust Tail, Plasma Tail and Ion Loading. Comets and Meteor Showers.
This module is at CQFW Level 6