The star at the center of our solar system, the Sun, may be infinitely smaller than scientists thought.
A team of two astronomers has found evidence that the sun’s radius is several hundredths of a percent narrower than previous analyzes have shown.
It may not sound like a big deal, but it could make a big difference in how scientists understand the glowing orbs of light that continue to animate our planet with life. there is.
The new results, which are currently under peer review, are based on sound waves generated and trapped in the hot plasma inside the Sun, called “pressure” or p-modes.This resonant sound is like a growling stomach. Indicates a change in atmospheric pressure It’s happening in the bowels of the sun.
According to astrophysicists Masao Takada of the University of Tokyo and Douglas Gough of the University of Cambridge, p-mode oscillations allow for “dynamically more robust” observations of the Sun’s interior compared to other oscillating sound waves.
To understand what this means, scientists at Stanford University think it’s easiest to imagine the sun as a bell that tolls, if not once. explain It’s like being constantly pounded by “many tiny grains of sand.”
All that earthquake noise generate Millions of vibrating sound waves or “modes” can be measured remotely by scientists.
Similar to the push and pull of p-waves, there are ripples that bounce up and down due to gravity, called g-modes, and when they occur close to the star’s surface, they are called f-modes. .
As the density of stars increases, other modes may arise that can be used to explain the features of the object.
F mode is particularly useful for studying the hot plasma swirling inside the Sun, while p mode is most useful for collecting the Sun’s “spherical harmonics.”
That is, p mode is produced by pressure fluctuations inside the sun. As these waves move outward, they strike the sun’s surface (the photosphere), reflect inward again, bend as they travel through the turbulent plasma, and bounce off other parts of the sun’s surface.
A vast combination of these modes allows us to build a complete picture of the Sun’s structure and behavior.
But which one should you choose?
Traditional reference models for the Sun’s seismic radius are based on the first measured f-mode.
However, some astronomers argue that the f-mode is not completely reliable because it does not extend to the edge of the sun’s photosphere. Instead, it appears to be “erasing” what Takada and Goff call the “phantom surface.”
P mode, According to past researchthey are less affected by magnetic fields and turbulence in the upper boundary layer of the Sun’s convective zone, so they reach farther.
Takata and Goff argue that p-mode is optimal if the radius of the sun is based on seismic measurements (rather than visible light or thermal calculations).
Their calculations using only p-mode frequencies suggest that the Sun’s photosphere radius is very slightly smaller than in standard solar models.
Don’t worry about how small the error is, Astrophysicist Emily Brunsden Said alex wilkins new scientist tModifying more traditional models to accommodate such discoveries is no small matter.
“It’s hard to understand why there’s a difference between the two,” Brunsden said. Said“Because there’s a lot going on.”
Preprint paper has been published arXiv.