Stellar and Solar Physics
Current Solar activity
The Sun has just transitioned between solar cycle 24 minimum to the start of solar cycle 25. Our news article of 27th Dec 2019 descried this. It is expected to remain relatively quiet until an increase in activity as solar cycle 25 begins to develop.
The Sun has just transitioned between solar cycle 24 minimum to the start of solar cycle 25. Our news article of 27th Dec 2019 descried this. It is expected to remain relatively quiet until an increase in activity as solar cycle 25 begins to develop.
The Sun – a very brief description
A brief (one page!) introduction to the Sun can be found by clicking here. The description is hyper-linked to our monthly blogs where more details of specific aspects of the Sun are provided.
There are many good introductory level books on the Sun. Whilst we do not endorse any specific book at this level, we are happy to provide a suitability assessment of the book you are considering purchasing if you contact us with your needs.
Our own educational publication is aimed at forming a bridge between the introductory books and the research level treaties and is aimed typically at the advance amateur or undergraduate student.
A brief (one page!) introduction to the Sun can be found by clicking here. The description is hyper-linked to our monthly blogs where more details of specific aspects of the Sun are provided.
There are many good introductory level books on the Sun. Whilst we do not endorse any specific book at this level, we are happy to provide a suitability assessment of the book you are considering purchasing if you contact us with your needs.
Our own educational publication is aimed at forming a bridge between the introductory books and the research level treaties and is aimed typically at the advance amateur or undergraduate student.
Our Research
We are particularly interested in radial pulsations within stars, and specifically how ionisation levels within a star causes radial disruptions in the tachocline. The tachocline is the narrow boundary within a star where radiation and convection process dominate respectively.
Radial pulsation is one of the most frequent physical mechanisms operating within variable stars – otherwise ‘normal’ stars where the brightness varies. As stars vary in size, so their brightness’s, as far as we see them, also varies.
The relationship between the period of variation and other intrinsic characteristics of a star is both important and very useful for us. The well-known Cepheid variable stars are radially pulsating stars and have allowed us to measure the scale of the galaxy, and our local galaxy group, relatively accurately.
Having a radially pulsating star would not be conducive for life on planets orbiting such a star. Why is the Sun not radially pulsating and what are the physical mechanisms behind ionisation and pulsation period are the areas of our current investigations.
We are particularly interested in radial pulsations within stars, and specifically how ionisation levels within a star causes radial disruptions in the tachocline. The tachocline is the narrow boundary within a star where radiation and convection process dominate respectively.
Radial pulsation is one of the most frequent physical mechanisms operating within variable stars – otherwise ‘normal’ stars where the brightness varies. As stars vary in size, so their brightness’s, as far as we see them, also varies.
The relationship between the period of variation and other intrinsic characteristics of a star is both important and very useful for us. The well-known Cepheid variable stars are radially pulsating stars and have allowed us to measure the scale of the galaxy, and our local galaxy group, relatively accurately.
Having a radially pulsating star would not be conducive for life on planets orbiting such a star. Why is the Sun not radially pulsating and what are the physical mechanisms behind ionisation and pulsation period are the areas of our current investigations.
