HYDROSTATIC PROPERTIES OF AN IONIZED ATMOSPHERE
Abstract
IT IS SHOWN THAT THE ELECTROSTATIC FIELD IN AN IONIZED ATMOSPHERE CAUSES IONS OF DIFFERENT CHARGE AND MASS TO CONCENTRATE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS. T HUS, FOR INSTANCE, IF THE SOLAR CORONA IS SUFFICIENTLY QUIET AS TO PERMIT AN APPROACH TO EQUILIBRIUM, ITS COMPOSITION IS STRATIFIED AND NOT AT ALL TYPICAL OF THE TRUE SOLAR COMPOSITION. On the other hand, in the presence of sufficient stirring to maintain chemical homogeneity it is shown that the settling of helium ions through the hydrogen corona toward their lower equili rium lev l is a powerful heating mechanism. It is shown that the ionized atmosphere of a hypothetical helium star will eject protons into space with a velocity of the order of the gr vitati nal escape velocity (energies of the order of kilovolts). (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0261090
Entities
People
- E.n. Parker
Organizations
- University of Chicago