The sun's output of visible light stays pretty steady, it stays within 1% of its current value for the past 100 years or so. However, the sun's maximum X-ray output can be as much as 10 times greater than its minimum output. WHY CAN THE CHANGES IN X-RAY OUTPUT BE SO MUCH MORE PRONOUNCED THAN THOSE IN THE OUTPUT OF VISIBLE LIGHT?
2006-11-08 14:36:34 · 2 answers · asked by hunnk33 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The x-ray emission is a very small fraction of the total luminosity of the sun (most of which is in visible light). There is no a priori reason to assume that the x-ray production is closely related to the bulk luminosity of the sun.
In fact, the bulk of the x-ray emission is not blackbody emission (the sun glowing because it is hot) at all.
Solar x-rays are generated by magnetic reconnection events (aka solar magnetic storms) in the corona and yes, also associated with photospheric sunspots. Sunspots have nothing to do with x-rays escaping from the interior of the sun!
Because these magnetic events are very ephemeral (things build up and then POW, you get a huge burst) the x-ray output is very variable.
2006-11-12 12:37:59 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. Quark 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only section of the sun emitting light is the photosphere. Areas beneth the photosphere are too dense for light make it out. Its like a wall. X-rays on the other hand can escape. As sun spots build, they effect the amount x-rays being emitted. X-rays from inside the sun can take anywhere from 15000 to 50 million years to escape as they are reabsorbed and reemitted constantly.
2006-11-08 22:39:49 · answer #2 · answered by jwissick 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋