Cosmic rays and solar flares

Draw in the back of your book the

life cycle of a star

Solar flares and Cosmic rays

You should learn:
Cosmic rays are fast-moving ionising
particles from the Sun.
The Earths magnetic field prevents them
from reaching us because they would be very
harmful
Solar flares (bursts of energy from the Sun)
interfere with these satellite systems.
P2e

Cosmic rays
Cosmic rays are not really rays at all, they are a
stream of particles of ionised atoms.
They can range from a single proton to the nucleus
of an iron atom-or larger
The most common cosmic ray is a alpha particle
(3protons and 2 neutrons)
Cosmic rays originate in space and are produced
form sources such as:

The sun
Other stars
Supernova and their remains
Neutron stars and black holes
Distant galaxies

 Cosmic ray particles are

travelling at speeds close
to that of light and they
have a lot of energy

The rays interact with the magnetic field of

the earth, spiralling around the field lines
Producing a concentration of cosmic rays at
the north and south poles

On certain nights these

shifting patterns can be seen
in the sky.
They are called Auroras
These bright lights are
caused by cosmic rays
streaming out from the sun
and striking earths upper
atmosphere
Energy from these charged
particles is converted into
light and forms visible
glows, rays, arcs, bands and
veils.
Usually green but can be
red or purple

Cosmic rays
Cosmic rays are __________ particles from the
Sun, ______ and ________. The most
common type of particle is a __________
particle. They interact with the Earths
__________ field. Energy from these charged
particles is converted into light which can be
seen in the _______ _______ and _______
______ called Auroras. These bright lights are
caused by ________ rays streaming out from
the sun and striking earths
upper___________.

Solar flares
A solar flare is a
violent explosion
above the suns
surface.
A large amount
of energy is
released

 Solar flares may last for 10 mins and will

produce more energy than a MILLION
hydrogen bombs.
There is a peak in this type of activity ever
10-11 yrs, during which large numbers of
charged particles are released at very high
speeds
This results in the production of a magnetic
field that interacts with the earths magnetic
field

 Only a small
amount of energy
reaches the earth
from a solar flare,
but it is enough to
interfere with
radio and
microwave
transmissions
They can also
affect electrical
power distribution
in the national grid

Solar flares
A solar flare is a ___________ above the suns
surface. A large amount of _________ is
released.
A solar flare consists of charged particles from
the ______ that travel at high speed and
produce strong ________ fields.
Solar _______ interfere with the operation of
satellites by interfering with ______________
and _______________. They also can cause
____________ __________.

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