At a meeting in Seattle this week, researchers from the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. will present a controversial new explanation for the origin of the violent solar eruptions which can trigger these disturbances. While some scientists say their theory is premature and hard to test, others applaud it as an intriguing new idea. Team leader James Chen of the Naval Research Lab will present the theory at the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Meeting in Seattle on November 16. Everyone agrees that this is an important question to pursue. Answering this question, scientists believe, will ultimately improve efforts to forecast and prepare for electrical and communications disruptions on our planet.
Earth is affected by the Sun in more ways than one.
In addition to shining light on our planet, the Sun erupts regularly, sending forth streams of charged particles that can pass by the Earth. These particles can disrupt the magnetic field of the Earth, creating disturbances to cell-phone communications and even knocking out power grids in extreme cases. In contrast, Krall and Chen argue that the energy responsible for these eruptions is stored below the photosphere, the visible solar surface underneath the corona. According to the theory, electrical current increases along a flux rope prior to solar eruption. Each such eruption can eject up to 100 trillion grams of matter at speeds of up to 1000 kilometers per second.