© Science Admins

 

This Measurements of MgII h and k Lines might be showing a huge Stark Effect (i.e., line splitting due to the electric force). The reason for thinking that it is the Stark Effect, and not the Zeeman Effect, is that the splitting seems to go away in the center of the sunspot, and thus the algorithm doesn't find what it's looking for. Ah, but the density of the solenoidal magnetic field is greatest in the center of the sunspot, so this is where we'd see the Zeeman Effect, if anywhere. So I think that they're seeing the Stark Effect. If so, this is really interesting, because it means that we "might" have a way of measuring the density (and orientation?) of the electric field. If I'm right, that's the E-field between the negatively charged sunspot shaft and the positively charged sheath around it. So it should be oriented horizontally, with the field lines all radially facing the center of the sunspot. This, BTW, is the field that I'm saying is responsible for solar flares. If the sunspot core is negative, and the sheath is positive, and if the charge separation is maintained by the magnetic field (i.e., charges wanting to travel horizontally across the surface have to move perpendicular to the magnetic field, and thus are impeded), then if the magnetic field goes away, the charges can recombine, perhaps catastrophically. The sudden disappearance of the magnetic field just before a solar flare is well-known, so IMO that's what is happening.