These observations need to fall in line with the outcomes predicted by the theoretical designs which focus on discussing the Suns advancement. How does the Sun burn its hydrogen in the core? How is energy produced there and after that transported towards the surface? How do chemical components drift within the Sun, influenced both by rotation and magnetic fields?
The standard solar model
” The basic solar design we used until now considers our star in a very simplified manner, on the one hand with regard to the transportation of the chemical aspects in the inmost layers, on the other hand for the rotation and the internal magnetic fields that were entirely neglected previously,” describes Gaël Buldgen, a researcher at the Department of astronomy of the UNIGE and co-author of the study.
Nevertheless, everything worked fine until the early 2000s, when an international scientific team drastically modified the solar abundances thanks to a better analysis. The brand-new abundances triggered deep ripples in the waters of the solar modeling. After that, no design was able to replicate the information gotten by helioseismology (the analysis of the Suns oscillations), in specific the abundance of helium in the solar envelope.
A new model and the essential role of rotation and magnetic fields
The new solar model established by the UNIGE group consists of not only the evolution of rotation which was probably faster in the past, but likewise the magnetic instabilities it creates. “We must absolutely think about all at once the effects of rotation and electromagnetic fields on the transportation of chemical components in our outstanding designs. It is essential for the Sun when it comes to outstanding physics in general and has a direct effect on the chemical evolution of deep space, provided that the chemical components that are important for life on Earth are prepared in the core of the stars,” states Patrick Eggenberger
Not only does the brand-new model rightly anticipate the concentration of helium in the outer layers of the Sun, however it likewise shows that of lithium which withstood modeling previously. “The abundance of helium is properly recreated by the brand-new design because the internal rotation of the Sun enforced by the magnetic fields generates a rough blending which prevents this component from falling too rapidly towards the center of the star; concurrently, the abundance of lithium observed on the solar surface area is likewise recreated because this same mixing transports it to the hot regions where it is damaged,” explains Patrick Eggenberger.
The issue is not completely resolved
The new model does not solve every obstacle raised by helioseismology: “Thanks to helioseismology, we understand within 500 km in which area the convective movements of matter begin, 199,500 km below the surface area of the Sun. If the problem still exists with the brand-new model, it opens a new door of understanding: “Thanks to the new design, we shed light on the physical processes that can help us fix this important difference.”
Update of solar-like stars
” We are going to have to modify the ages, masses, and radii obtained for the solar-type stars that we have actually studied so far,” states Gaël Buldgen, detailing the next steps. Undoubtedly, in many cases, solar physics is shifted to case studies close to the Sun. If the models for analyzing the Sun are modified, this upgrade need to likewise be performed for other stars comparable to ours.
Patrick Eggenberger defines: “This is particularly important if we want to much better identify the host stars of worlds, for example within the structure of the PLATO mission.” This observatory of 24 telescopes should fly to the Lagrange point 2 (1.5 million kilometers from Earth, opposite the Sun) in 2026 to find and identify little worlds and fine-tune the characteristics of their host star.
Reference: “The internal rotation of the Sun and its link to the solar Li and He surface area abundances” by P. Eggenberger, G. Buldgen, S.J.A.J. Salmon, A. Noels, N. Grevesse and M. Asplund, 26 May 2022, Nature Astronomy.DOI: 10.1038/ s41550-022-01677-0.
The design developed by the researchers consists of the history of the rotation of the sun however likewise the magnetic instabilities that it creates. Credit: Sylvia Ekström/ UNIGE
A worldwide team of astronomers has been successful in developing a model to fix part of the “solar issue.”
All was wrong with the Sun! A brand-new set of data in the early 2000s brought down the chemical abundances at the surface area of the Sun, opposing the levels forecasted by the standard models used by astrophysicists. Often challenged, these brand-new abundances made it through multiple new analyses. As they seemed to prove appropriate, it was thus up to the solar models to adjust, specifically considering that they act as a recommendation for the research study of stars in basic. A group of astronomers from the UNIGE in partnership with the Université de Liège, has actually established a new theoretical model that resolves part of the problem: thinking about the Suns rotation, which differed through time, and the electromagnetic fields it creates, they have actually had the ability to explain the chemical structure of the Sun. The results of this study are published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
” The Sun is the star that we can best identify, so it makes up an essential test for our understanding of outstanding physics. We have abundance measurements of its chemical aspects, however likewise measurements of its internal structure, like when it comes to Earth thanks to seismology,” describes Patrick Eggenberger, a researcher at the Department of astronomy of the University of Geneva, Switzerland (UNIGE) and first author of the research study.
A brand-new set of information in the early 2000s brought down the chemical abundances at the surface of the Sun, contradicting the levels anticipated by the standard models used by astrophysicists. A group of astronomers from the UNIGE in cooperation with the Université de Liège, has actually established a brand-new theoretical design that solves part of the issue: thinking about the Suns rotation, which differed through time, and the magnetic fields it creates, they have actually been able to explain the chemical structure of the Sun. From then on, no model was able to recreate the information acquired by helioseismology (the analysis of the Suns oscillations), in particular the abundance of helium in the solar envelope.
The new design does not fix every difficulty raised by helioseismology: “Thanks to helioseismology, we understand within 500 km in which region the convective movements of matter start, 199,500 km below the surface area of the Sun. If the issue still exists with the new model, it opens a brand-new door of understanding: “Thanks to the new design, we shed light on the physical procedures that can assist us resolve this crucial difference.”