Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Ecology of Prominences

1979; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 44; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0252921100065489

2059-9137

H. Zirin,

Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics

Why did God create prominences? Surely not simply for the entertainment of solar physicists, although that is an important role. Surely not just as a “solar planetary nebula”, on which we could test radiation models. And certainly not just to help those of us with Hα filters, but no magnetographs, to find the magnetic neutral lines on the sun. Nor were they solely created to be a major source of flares, or to cool off post-flare coronal condensations. In addition to these important roles the prominence must have other organic purposes in the solar scheme. Although I will not be able to tell you these by the end of my talk, I hope you will keep the problem in mind as you listen to me.