SOLAR FLARE & ITS EFFECT ON ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENTS

Presented by:- DIBYAJYOTI GOGOIClass:-Second Semester

Contents1. INTRODUCTION OF SOLAR FLARE2. HOW SOLAR FLARE OCCURS ?3. STAGES OF SOLAR FLARE4. ITS EFFECT ON EARTH & HUMAN LIFE5. PREDICTION OF SOLAR FLARE6. PRECAUTIONARY PREPARATIONS BEFORE ITS

IMPACT7. CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION A SOLAR FLARE IS A SUDDEN BRIGHT ERUPTION OF

A LARGE AMOUNT OF ENERGY FROM THE SUN’S SURFACE. THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY RELEASED MAYBE UPTO 6*10^25 JOULES. THE SOLAR FLARE MAINLY CONSISTS OF ELECTRONS,IONS AND ATOMS. DUE TO INTENSE HEAT IN THE SUN’S ATMOSPHERE,THEY PRODUCE RADIATION ACROSS THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM AT ALL WAVELENGHTS..FROM ‘RADIOWAVES TO GAMMA RAYS’. THIS PHENOMENON CANNOT BE OBSERVED WITH NAKED EYE ,BUT ONLY WITH SPECIAL INSTRUMENTS.

How does it occur… SOLAR FLARES OCCUR WHEN ACCELERATED CHARGED

PARTICLES INTERACT WITH PLASMA MEDIUM OF THE SUN. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES INDICATE THAT MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCELERATION OF THE CHARGED PARTICLES. AS PER SUN IS CONCERNED, MAGNETIC RECONNECTION CAN OCCUR ON SOLAR ARCADES, WHICH IS A SERIES OF CLOSELY OCCURING LOOPS OF MAGNETIC LINES OF FORCE. THESE LINES OF FORCE QUICKLY RECONNECT INTO A LOW ARCADE OF LOOPS HAVING A HELIX OF MAGNETIC FIELD UNCONNECTED TO THE REST OF ARCADE.THESE RESULTS IN THE SUDDEN RELEASE OF ENERGY LEADING TO PARTICLE ACCELERATION. THIS ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY RELEASED TRAVELS THROUGH THE SPACE AND REACHES EARTH CAUSING TREMENDOUS DAMAGE TO SATELLITES AND ALL KINDS OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTS.

Stages of solar flares:1. PRECURSOR STAGE:- IN THIS STAGE, RELEASE OF

MAGNETIC ENERGY IS ACCOMPANIED BY X-RAYS.2. IMPULSIVE STAGE:- IN THIS STAGE, PROTONS AND

ELECTRONS ARE ACCELERATED TO AN ENERGY EXCEEDING 1MEV.

3. DECAY STAGE:- IN THIS STAGE, GRADUAL BUILT UP AND DECAY OF X-RAYS IS NOTICED.

First recorded solar event

THE FIRST RECORDED SOLAR FLARE WAS OBSERVED WIDELY ON THE NIGHT OF 2nd SEPTEMBER ,1859, WHICH WAS SEEN MOSTLY ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THE GEOMAGNETIC STORM CAUSED BY THE SOLAR FLARE CREATED AURORA. THE LIGHT WAS SO BRIGHT THAT PEOPLE WOKE UP THINKING IT WAS ALREADY MORNING. TELEGRPAH SYSTEMS ALL AROUND EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA FAILED. TELEGRAPH EQUIPMENTS THREW SPARKS AND PAPERS CAUGHT FIRE CREATING A GREAT DEAL OF HAVOC. SOME TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS CONTINUED TO SEND AND RECEIVE MESSAGES DESPITE HAVING BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR POWER SUPPLIES.

What can happen when solar flares hit earth???

1. THEY CAN CAUSE HEAVY ENVIRONMENTAL DISTURBANCES LIKE GEOMAGNETIC STORM,SOLAR RADIATION STORMS, RADIO BLACKOUT, CELLPHONE DISRUPTION, GPS AND SATELLITE DISRUPTION.

2. LARGE SOLAR FLARES CAN CAUSE AURORAS.3. EARTHQUAKES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO LARGE

SOLAR ACTIVITY.4. BIRDS AND MARINE LIFE ARE AFFECTED.

Effect on electronic systems BASICALLY A LARGE SOLAR FLARE COULD PRACTICALLY

TAKE OUT WORLD’s ELECTRICITY ON A SEMI-PERMANENT BASIS.IT WOULD TAKE MANY YEARS TO REPAIR THE WORLD’s ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EVEN IF REPLACEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE. THERE COULD BE MASSIVE DAMAGE TO POWER STATIONS,TRANSFORMERS AND POWER DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES. WHEN HIGH POWER TRANSFORMERS ARE DAMAGED, THEY MUST BE REPLACED. IF THE FACTORIES THAT CREATE OR REPAIR THESE EQUIPMENTS ARE WITHOUT POWER, THEY WILL BE UNABLE TO REPAIR OR REBUILT THEM.

IN SHORT, IT WILL TOTALLY DISRUPT THE EARTH’s ELECTRICAL SYSTEM INCLUDING SATELLITES AND EVERYTHING THAT RUNS ON ELECTRICITY. IT WILL DIRECTLY AFFECT HUMAN LIVES. WITHOUT POWER , CIVILISATION WILL SUFFER A LOT.

Prediction of Solar flares

PREDICTING THE SOLAR FLARE IS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE. THE ABILITY TO FORECAST AN IMPENDING THREAT OF SOLAR FLARE IS STILL NOT ACCURATELY AVAILABLE. BUT, SEVERAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES ARE TRYING TO STUDY IT AND FIND WAYS OF PREDICTING IT. OBSERVATORIES ARE CONSTANTLY KEEPING EYE ON THE SOLAR ACTIVITIES AND THOUGH NOT ACCURATELY, BUT, ATLEAST THEY CAN GIVE PREDICTION OF SOLAR STORMS WITH 50% ACCURACY.

How should we prepare ourselves for such a catastrophic event:

1. WE SHOULD RESERVE EXTRA BATTERIES FOR FLASHLIGHT AND RADIOS.

2. EXTRA GASOLINE SHOULD BE KEPT IN STOCK.3. DURING A SOLAR FLARE ALERT USE OF ELEVATORS

SHOULD BE AVOIDED.4. AIR TRAVEL SHOULD BE TOTALLY AVOIDED DURING

SOLAR EVENT.5. BATTERY POWERED RADIO SETS SHOULD BE KEPT. IT

STILL WORKS DURING BLACKOUTS.6. DISCONNECTING ELECTRONIC HOME APPLIANCES

SUCH AS TELEVISION,COMPUTERS etc.. INDUCED VOLTAGE SPIKES DURING GEOMAGNETIC STORMS DAMAGES ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENTS.

Conclusion HAVING ANALYSED THE HARMS THAT CAN BE

CAUSED BY SOLAR FLARES, THE AIM NOW SHOULD BE TO CONCENTRATE THE ELECTRICAL SETUP IN SUCH A WAY THAT WOULD PREVENT THE COPPER WIRES AND GRIDS FROM ITS EFFECTS. SINCE SOLAR FLARES ARE NATURALLY OCCURING EVENTS, WE CAN ONLY PREPARE OURSELVES TO OVERCOME SUCH EVENTS IN OUR BEST POSSIBLE WAYS.