The elemental composition of the solar corona is closely related to the 11-year cycle of its magnetic activity. A new study shows that the growth of magnetic activity is accompanied by an increase in certain elements (iron) in the corona.
Elemental composition is an important component of mass and energy flow in stellar atmospheres. As the composition changes, you can understand the true causes of heating. Due to 11-year cycles, the Sun has a relatively quiet periodicity with the appearance of a large number of spots and an increase in the intensity of the rays.
Prior to this, scientists believed that the elementary composition is based on stellar characteristics that do not change (rotation speed or gravity). But recent data allude to the connection with magnetic activity and heating, and these processes do not appear to be constant.
The largest active region in the solar cycle (October 23, 2014) The temperature index of the photosphere is 6000 degrees, but the corona observed during total eclipses exceeds this mark several hundred times. And precisely the moment of its heating to a million degrees raises the most questions for physicists.
The researchers decided to study the data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory for 2010-2014. (low activity) when the solar disk was crossed by giant active magnetic areas.
It is noticeable that a certain mechanism transports certain elements to the crown, forming a bright elementary signature. Now it is important for scientists to understand exactly what caused this transportation.
Observations began to be conducted during a period of low activity, so everyone is surprised that they managed to notice this change in such a short time. In the long term, it is planned to trace the entire stellar cycle and understand the mysterious behavior of the atmosphere. Enough to understand our sun, and we will be able to understand the schemes of the other stars.
