I have a science question.

[NOW tense]

Is there a light spectrum that we don't usually see in solar flares? Or can a high amount of X-rays and UV radiation effect the ionosphere to bend light differently?

[Swamp Rat]

1. "Mmmm... Jee tinka tagwa!"

"hahahahaaa!!!" :D

[lob1]

2. I'm no expert, but I'm sure there are spectrums of light we don't see

in solar flares. I saw a feature on the news about the earth's magnetic field, and how that field keeps out most of the nasty cosmic rays.

[dysfunctional press]

3. the radio spectrum would be one

nt

[ColbertWatcher]

4. You really ought to ask that type of question in the Science Forum.

You're bound to get strange answers any where else ...



Here is the link to the Science Forum: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=228

[NOW tense]

6. Thanks

I missed it by that much..

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Visible light is a *very* tiny sliver of the electro-magnetic spectrum

If I recall, something like 80% of all the energy that our sun puts out (most stars, in fact) is outside of the visible light spectrum, ranging from radio (extremely long waves) to gamma radiation (extremely short.)

[TahitiNut]

9. Yup. Here ya go ...

[NOW tense]

14. I like the depends diagram.

[lonestarnot]

15. LOL

:spray: :rofl: :applause:

[TechBear_Seattle]

16. Ok, THAT's funny

:hi:

[Festivito]

7. I'd be curious why you'd ask.

Solar flares are pretty much the same composition as the rest of the suns burn that produces light, just further from center. The spectra would contain seen and unseeable light. The bending of light occurs as it hits denser media bending further and further as the air and water media become more dense the closer to the planet it travels. Also, as seen in a prism, the different wavelengths/colors of light bend differently from each other through the same media densities.

Solar flares also release particles that do not travel as fast as light. Light takes 500 seconds to arrive. The larger particles take much longer and disrupt satellites, I'd suggest, days and weeks later.

The first line of defense are the Van Allen belts. Although, I must admit that my knowledge is old and they may have discovered a thousand more understandings by now. I recall the belts do move.

The passing and bending of light could be affected by the movement of the media densities much like light bends differently upon water that is calm versus water that is rippling.

[NOW tense]

10. I am working on a complete

thought. Thank you so much for your help.

[Maru Kitteh]

8. What we call light merely refers to a portion of the energy spectrum percieved by us

through the specialized organs that are our eyes.


What, specifically are you trying to ask? Your question is actually quite unclear.

[NOW tense]

11. Thanks everyone.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. Yes But No

There are plenty of different wavelengths that are emmitted from a giant plasma-based fusion reactor like a star. Yes, there are some XRays, there are even small amounts of gamma.

But no, there are NO WAVELENGTHS that can cause the ionosphere to bend light differently. In fact, the atmostphere doesn't "bend" light at all. It can change its angle, once, which of course we call refraction. Good thing that works, or my eyeglasses would be useless!

What is possible, although unlikely due to the low energy levels, is that we could see induced emissions of light from the upper atmosphere due to the absorption of the higher energy states by molecules up there. When the electrons that are dislodged from the standard orbitals by those Xrays drop back to their normal state, light is emitted. This can cause the effect of seeing more than a single image, but usually in a different color than the background light. (The sun, in this case.)

The bending of light is a gravitational phenomenon. Refraction is technically a slowing down of different pieces of the light. Different parts slow down by differing amounts and the angle of the light changes. But, that isn't technically bending. That's splitting semantic hairs, i admit.

So, yes there are Xrays in sunlight. Yes, they're absorbed in the upper atmosphere. Yes, they're refracted and can also cause fluorescence effects. But, it's not techncially "bending".
GAC

[NOW tense]

13. Awesome What happens

when we introduce a fluctuation of the magnetic field of the Earth into the equation is it possible to get small burst of magnetic pulses similar to an MRI?

I am just wondering, and what I am saying is completely Science Fiction so please don't attack me for asking crazy questions.

Is it possible that with a solar flare and the holes in our ionosphere that light will be changed in some way with the combination of the affects of slight changes to the magnetic field that our brains would perceive something new? Like this for example.

http://www.radiologytoday.net/archive/rt_062705p22.shtml

http://autism.about.com/b/2008/12/06/initial-studies-of-transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-tms-treatment-for-autism-are-encouraging.htm

I have also heard of M-theories' 11 dimensions being explained as light being refracted by glass where the same light shows up in different places. If this is correct. Is it possible that with the combination of all of these things we would get a glimpse of the other dimensions?

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Sure

What you're describing is exactly what i described. One aspect of quantum chemistry is the fact that light at certain frequencies has effects on specific orbital shells. When those electrons are overactivated (higher kinetic energy by way of absorption of all or part of the incoming photon) they move up to higher "orbit".

Since there are other electrons up there, they can't stay there for ever, so they drop back down and give up a photon that is a specific lower harmonic of the light wave that caused it.

As to the other dimension thing, i'm only speculating, but i doubt it. The intervals of time that, even in theory, the 3 dimensional domain (space, all the particles, everything) interact with the added dimensions are nearly infinitely short. So, even if what you are describing were a predictable event, there would be no way to observe it, or even measure it.

I have't seriously pursued quantum theory for probably 12 years now, but from what i did study and what i do remember, i'm giving you what i can.
GAC