The Sun Is Fading: The decrease in solar brightness is small but possibly climatically significant; a turnaround may be in the offing

Science ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 231 (4736) ◽  
pp. 339-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. KERR
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
Solar Brightness

Effect of Solar Brightness Profiles on the Performance of Parabolic Concentrating Collectors

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Chapman ◽  
Diego A. Arias
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Methods ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Uncertainty Propagation ◽  
Gaussian Function ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Solar Concentrator ◽  
Optical Performance ◽  
Optical Surface ◽  
Solar Brightness

Solar brightness profiles were used to model the optical performance of a parabolic linear solar concentrator. A sensitivity analysis of the sun size on collector performance was completed using analytical methods. Ray traces were created for solar brightness profiles having circumsolar ratios from 0–40%, slope errors of the optical surface from 2–5 mrads, and angles of incidence varying from 0–60 degrees. Using typical meteorological data for two locations, the optical performance was calculated and averaged over a year. Intercept factors of these simulations were compared to simpler analytical models that cast the sun shape as a Gaussian function. Results showed that collector performance is relatively insensitive to solar profile, and that using a representative Gaussian solar profile will tend to underestimate collector performance compared to using exact weighted solar profiles by about 1%. This difference is within the uncertainty propagation of the intercept factor calculated with analytical methods.

scholarly journals Power spectra of solar brightness variations at various inclinations

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. A43 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.-E. Nèmec ◽  
A. I. Shapiro ◽  
N. A. Krivova ◽  
S. K. Solanki ◽  
R. V. Tagirov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transport Model ◽  
Solar Rotation ◽  
Power Spectra ◽  
Surface Flux ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Space Telescopes ◽  
Flux Transport ◽  
Total Irradiance ◽  
Solar Brightness ◽  
Magnetic Features

Context. Magnetic features on the surfaces of cool stars lead to variations in their brightness. Such variations on the surface of the Sun have been studied extensively. Recent planet-hunting space telescopes have made it possible to measure brightness variations in hundred thousands of other stars. The new data may undermine the validity of setting the sun as a typical example of a variable star. Putting solar variability into the stellar context suffers, however, from a bias resulting from solar observations being carried out from its near-equatorial plane, whereas stars are generally observed at all possible inclinations. Aims. We model solar brightness variations at timescales from days to years as they would be observed at different inclinations. In particular, we consider the effect of the inclination on the power spectrum of solar brightness variations. The variations are calculated in several passbands that are routinely used for stellar measurements. Methods. We employ the surface flux transport model to simulate the time-dependent spatial distribution of magnetic features on both the near and far sides of the Sun. This distribution is then used to calculate solar brightness variations following the Spectral And Total Irradiance REconstruction approach. Results. We have quantified the effect of the inclination on solar brightness variability at timescales down to a single day. Thus, our results allow for solar brightness records to be made directly comparable to those obtained by planet-hunting space telescopes. Furthermore, we decompose solar brightness variations into components originating from the solar rotation and from the evolution of magnetic features.

scholarly journals Solar Brightness Distribution at a Wavelength of 60 Centimetres. I. The Quiet Sun

1955 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 487 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Swarup ◽  
R Parthasarathy
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cycle ◽  
Brightness Distribution ◽  
Central Meridian ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Radio Brightness ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Quiet Sun ◽  
Solar Brightness

A multiple-element interferometer has been employed to determine one-dimensional distributions of radio brightness over the quiet Sun at a wavelength of 60 cm for scanning directions varying from 90� to 60� with respect to the central meridian of the Sun. These observations have been compared with measurements by other workers at the same, or nearly the same, wavelength. The present observations are reasonably consistent with the two-dimensional brightness distribution derived recently by O'Brien and Tandberg-Hanssen with a two-aerial interferometer, but do not agree with the earlier results of Stanier at the same wavelength. The disagreement, largely the absence of the theoretically predicted limb-brightening in Stanier's results, may reflect actual changes in the Sun over the solar cycle. However, the possibility of localized disturbed regions affecting Stanier's results for the quiet Sun cannot be eliminated.

scholarly journals Reading runes with the sun. A geosemiotic analysis of the Rök runestone

2021 ◽  
pp. 263497952110591
Author(s):  
Per Holmberg
Keyword(s):  
Viking Age ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Multimodal Approach ◽  
Font Size ◽  
Historical Material ◽  
Methodological Challenges ◽  
Visual Semiotics ◽  
Reading Direction ◽  
Interaction Order ◽  
Solar Brightness

In the field of runestone research, the importance of multimodal understanding has been downplayed although it is obvious that several semiotic resources interact when it comes to carving a stone and erecting it in the landscape. This study examines if it is possible to deal with the methodological challenges of a historical material and make a multimodal approach deepen our understanding of the Rök runestone, one of the most famous and enigmatic Viking Age runestones. The study applies Scollon and Scollon’s geosemiotic framework (2003). Through an investigation of how the visual semiotics interacts with place semiotics and interaction order, it turns out that the marked reading direction of the lines of the inscription symbolizes the movement of the sun, and that the change of font size in two lines probably mimics the change of solar brightness at sunrise and sunset. Further, it is suggested that the big crosses of cipher runes and the small crosses between some information units may represent the sun and stars, respectively. The conclusion is that the monument was risen for the enactment of a counsel of the gods with the aim of securing the rhythm of celestial light. Finally, implications for multimodal research are discussed.

scholarly journals Solar Brightness Distribution at a Wavelength of 60 Centimetres. II. Localized Radio Bright Regions

1958 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 338 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Swarup ◽  
R Parthasarathy
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cycle ◽  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Solar Disk ◽  
Brightness Distribution ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Minimum Period ◽  
Simple Interpretation ◽  
Solar Brightness ◽  
Low Activity

The localized radio bright regions on the Sun which give rise to a slowly varying component of the solar radiation were studied at a wavelength of 60 cm, using a 32-aerial interferometer with a beamwidth of 8�7 min of arc. The observations were undertaken during July 1954 to March 1955 and were limited in number due to this being a minimum period of the solar cycle. The low activity, however, provided the advantage of simple interpretation as often only one region was present on the solar disk.

Chromospheric activity as a function of age in main-sequence stars

1966 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 40-43
Author(s):  
O. C. Wilson ◽  
A. Skumanich
Keyword(s):  
Main Sequence ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Main Sequence Stars ◽  
Tentative Conclusion ◽  
Chromospheric Activity ◽  
General Field ◽  
Large Clusters

Evidence previously presented by one of the authors (1) suggests strongly that chromospheric activity decreases with age in main sequence stars. This tentative conclusion rests principally upon a comparison of the members of large clusters (Hyades, Praesepe, Pleiades) with non-cluster objects in the general field, including the Sun. It is at least conceivable, however, that cluster and non-cluster stars might differ in some fundamental fashion which could influence the degree of chromospheric activity, and that the observed differences in chromospheric activity would then be attributable to the circumstances of stellar origin rather than to age.

Galactic orbits of stars

1966 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 93-97
Author(s):  
Richard Woolley
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Potential Field ◽  
High Velocity ◽  
Velocity Vector ◽  
Variable Stars ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Proper Motions ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
The Galaxy

It is now possible to determine proper motions of high-velocity objects in such a way as to obtain with some accuracy the velocity vector relevant to the Sun. If a potential field of the Galaxy is assumed, one can compute an actual orbit. A determination of the velocity of the globular clusterωCentauri has recently been completed at Greenwich, and it is found that the orbit is strongly retrograde in the Galaxy. Similar calculations may be made, though with less certainty, in the case of RR Lyrae variable stars.

Seti Space Missions

1997 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 761-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Maccone
Keyword(s):  
Electromagnetic Waves ◽  
Space Missions ◽  
Gravitational Lens ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Space Antenna ◽  
Focal Distance ◽  
Large Space ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Space Antennas ◽  
New Space

AbstractSETI from space is currently envisaged in three ways: i) by large space antennas orbiting the Earth that could be used for both VLBI and SETI (VSOP and RadioAstron missions), ii) by a radiotelescope inside the Saha far side Moon crater and an Earth-link antenna on the Mare Smythii near side plain. Such SETIMOON mission would require no astronaut work since a Tether, deployed in Moon orbit until the two antennas landed softly, would also be the cable connecting them. Alternatively, a data relay satellite orbiting the Earth-Moon Lagrangian pointL2would avoid the Earthlink antenna, iii) by a large space antenna put at the foci of the Sun gravitational lens: 1) for electromagnetic waves, the minimal focal distance is 550 Astronomical Units (AU) or 14 times beyond Pluto. One could use the huge radio magnifications of sources aligned to the Sun and spacecraft; 2) for gravitational waves and neutrinos, the focus lies between 22.45 and 29.59 AU (Uranus and Neptune orbits), with a flight time of less than 30 years. Two new space missions, of SETI interest if ET’s use neutrinos for communications, are proposed.

A Search for Dyson Spheres around Late-Type Stars in the Solar Neighborhood II

1997 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 707-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Jugaku ◽  
Shiro Nishimura
Keyword(s):  
Solar Neighborhood ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Late Type ◽  
Solar Type

AbstractWe continued our search for partial (incomplete) Dyson spheres associated with 50 solar-type stars (spectral classes F, G, and K) within 25 pc of the Sun. No candidate objects were found.

Emergence of Twisted Magnetic Flux Related Sigmoidal Brightening

2000 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 263-264
Author(s):  
K. Sundara Raman ◽  
K. B. Ramesh ◽  
R. Selvendran ◽  
P. S. M. Aleem ◽  
K. M. Hiremath
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Magnetic Flux ◽  
Ultra Violet ◽  
Active Regions ◽  
Morphological Properties ◽  
Energy Storage And Conversion ◽  
The Sun ◽  
X Rays ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Extended AbstractWe have examined the morphological properties of a sigmoid associated with an SXR (soft X-ray) flare. The sigmoid is cospatial with the EUV (extreme ultra violet) images and in the optical part lies along an S-shaped Hαfilament. The photoheliogram shows flux emergence within an existingδtype sunspot which has caused the rotation of the umbrae giving rise to the sigmoidal brightening.It is now widely accepted that flares derive their energy from the magnetic fields of the active regions and coronal levels are considered to be the flare sites. But still a satisfactory understanding of the flare processes has not been achieved because of the difficulties encountered to predict and estimate the probability of flare eruptions. The convection flows and vortices below the photosphere transport and concentrate magnetic field, which subsequently appear as active regions in the photosphere (Rust & Kumar 1994 and the references therein). Successive emergence of magnetic flux, twist the field, creating flare productive magnetic shear and has been studied by many authors (Sundara Ramanet al.1998 and the references therein). Hence, it is considered that the flare is powered by the energy stored in the twisted magnetic flux tubes (Kurokawa 1996 and the references therein). Rust & Kumar (1996) named the S-shaped bright coronal loops that appear in soft X-rays as ‘Sigmoids’ and concluded that this S-shaped distortion is due to the twist developed in the magnetic field lines. These transient sigmoidal features tell a great deal about unstable coronal magnetic fields, as these regions are more likely to be eruptive (Canfieldet al.1999). As the magnetic fields of the active regions are deep rooted in the Sun, the twist developed in the subphotospheric flux tube penetrates the photosphere and extends in to the corona. Thus, it is essentially favourable for the subphotospheric twist to unwind the twist and transmit it through the photosphere to the corona. Therefore, it becomes essential to make complete observational descriptions of a flare from the magnetic field changes that are taking place in different atmospheric levels of the Sun, to pin down the energy storage and conversion process that trigger the flare phenomena.

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