- Astronomers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have developed a novel method to explore the sun by studying magnetic fields across different layers of the solar atmosphere.
- The study utilized simultaneous observations from multiple spectral lines, particularly the Hydrogen-alpha line at 6562.8 Angstroms, to infer the stratification of magnetic fields.
- The primary mirror (M1) of the 3-mirror setup at the Tunnel Telescope tracks the Sun, the secondary mirror (M2) redirects sunlight downwards, and the tertiary mirror (M3) makes the beam horizontal.
- Using data from IIA’s Kodaikanal Tower Tunnel Telescope, they focused on an active sunspot region with complex features, including multiple umbrae and a penumbra.
- The solar atmosphere consists of interconnected layers through which magnetic fields transfer energy and mass from the inner to outer layers, driving phenomena like coronal heating and solar wind.
- Understanding these processes requires detailed measurements of magnetic fields at various heights in the solar atmosphere.
| • Umbrae is the dark, central part of a sunspot, appearing darker due to its lower temperature caused by concentrated magnetic fields. • Penumbra surrounds the umbra, featuring lighter, filamentary structures that are still cooler than the surrounding solar surface but not as dark as the umbra. • Coronal Heating refers to the phenomenon where the sun’s outermost layer, the corona, is much hotter (millions of degrees) than its surface (about 5,500°C). • Solar Winds are streams of charged particles emitted from the sun’s corona, influencing planetary magnetic fields and causing effects like auroras on Earth. |
Dig Deeper: Read about Van Allen Belts of Earth.
