What is the capacitance of the sun?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the concept of the capacitance of the sun, exploring whether it can be measured, its net charge, and implications for solar phenomena such as the heating of the corona. Participants examine the theoretical aspects of capacitance in relation to celestial bodies and the solar wind.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the capacitance of the sun, noting the lack of information on measurement and whether it has a net charge.
  • Another participant asserts that the sun is approximately neutral, suggesting that protons and electrons are ejected together in solar phenomena.
  • Some participants highlight that capacitance is a differential concept, raising questions about what reference point (e.g., Earth, Pluto) is used to define it.
  • There is curiosity about the capacitance of the sun in relation to the plasma in the solar wind, with a participant suggesting that the sun's assumed neutrality could be dependent on chosen parameters.
  • One participant proposes that a net charge on the sun could explain the unexpected heating of the corona, suggesting an electric field generated by this charge might accelerate particles, contributing to their high energy.
  • Another participant notes that while the sun is considered neutral, localized charge separations occur, similar to phenomena observed in Earth's atmosphere.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the sun's net charge and its implications for capacitance and solar phenomena. There is no consensus on whether the sun can be considered neutral or if it possesses a net charge that affects its capacitance.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the definitions of capacitance and neutrality, as well as the implications of these concepts for understanding solar phenomena. The complexity of measuring such properties in astronomical contexts is acknowledged but not resolved.

-RA-
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What is the capacitance of the sun? semms like a straigtforward question but I can't seem to find any information on what it is. I'm don't know if it has been measured, or if its even possible to measure, but I would have thought a body that big and active as the sun would have an ability to store a certain amount of charge. is it a net positive or negative charge?
 
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As far as we know, the net charge on the sun is about 0, i.e. it's neutral. When protons (or other positively charged nuclei) get blown away (in the solar wind or CMEs), electrons go with them.
 
-RA- said:
What is the capacitance of the sun? semms like a straigtforward question but I can't seem to find any information on what it is. I'm don't know if it has been measured, or if its even possible to measure, but I would have thought a body that big and active as the sun would have an ability to store a certain amount of charge. is it a net positive or negative charge?

Capacitance is a differential concept. The capacitance of the sun with respect to what? Pluto? Earth? All of the planets? The nearest star?
 
berkeman said:
Capacitance is a differential concept. The capacitance of the sun with respect to what? Pluto? Earth? All of the planets? The nearest star?

i was wondering what the capacitance would be compared to the plasma in the solar wind at (for example) the asteroid belt. We know the solar wind is quasi-neutral but made of none-the-less of charged ions, so i am curious that if the sun does have a net charge and high voltage how this would effect charged ions in the solar wind. I know that curently we think it is neutral, but you can claim anything is neutral if you choose your own parameters, as berkeman correctly stated capacitance is a differential concept.

Is there anyway that we can test the neutrality of the sun? or is it just asumed to be that way?

there is a huge charge difference in Earths upper atmosphere that causes lightning to arc between the different potentials, but you can still claim the Earth as a whole is completely neutral, even though a lot of charge separation is taking place on a localized scale.
 
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On a slightly unrelated note, I was just thinking could a net charge on the sun be the explanation for the unexpected heating of the corona? Currently there is no reason why the corona and chromosphere should be millions of degrees K hotter than the surface of the sun. But if there is an electric field just outside the sun, generated by the net charge of the sun, that would explain why the particles are getting accelerated and gain so much heat. ions would have their maximum potential energy when they are in this photospheric plasma; however their mechanical energy would be relatively low.

At a certain point when a +ve ion randomly moves out of the photosphere and into the electric field (voltage gradient) it will result in it being accelerated outwards. The particles are basically transferring the high electrical potential energy they had in the sun into kinetic energy by gaining an extremely high outwards radial velocity, and would explain why particles in the corona are so energetic. This way the inverse square law for radiant energy is not being broken as the current model does.

That is the only explanation I can see to explain the coronal heating problem, unless there are others I am not aware of.
 
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