太阳科普 第15期

 The key difference of course is that a sunspot's  最关键的不同点在于太阳黑子

an awful lot bigger and so the total energy,  大得多，所以太阳磁场内

or the amount of energy in the magnetic field  所含的总能量大得惊人

on the sun is enormous but the field strength  但是任一部位的磁场强度

at any given locationis something you can hold in your hand.  和一般磁铁差不多

Sun spots are just the visible effect of magnetic fields  太阳黑子的形成是因为磁场强度过强

so strong that they can prevent the heat  以致阻挡热能

and light rising from the sun's interior.  及光线离开太阳内部

With the right viewing equipment  只要用合适的观测器材

you can even see the magnetic fields.  就能看到磁场

Magnetic loops arch off the surface,  磁力圈在太阳表面形成拱形

like iron filings around a bar magnet they're shapes  如同磁铁棒周围的铁屑

are mapped out by plasma¹ heated to a million degrees.  一百万度的高热电浆勾勒出它们的形状

The largest are 200,000 kilometres high.  最大的磁力圈有20万公里高

And they are packed full of unstable² energy.  饱含不稳定能量

When you add up the total energy content  要是把磁力圈的能量加总起来

in these loops it comes out to roughly 10 to the 21 joules  约可得到10的21次方焦耳

of energy and that's roughly ten times the annual energy  约相当于美国年度消耗

consumption of the united states.  能量的十倍

Of course we can see thousands of them at any one time.  我们不论何时都能看到数以千计的磁力圈

The loops are caused by the twisting  磁力圈是因太阳

of the sun's basic magnetic field.  基本磁场的扭曲所致

Because the sun rotates faster at the equator  因为太阳的赤道旋转速度比两极快

than at the poles it drags the field lines with it  所以磁力线因受到拉扯

stretching and twisting them like elastic³ bands.  而像橡皮筋般地拉长、扭曲

As the solar cycle goes on the fields get more  随着太阳周期的进展

and more twisted and break through the surface.  磁场扭曲得越来越严重并突破表面

Until at Solar Max the whole sun is covered  到了太阳活动极大期时，整个太阳覆满了

in loops stretched to breaking point.  伸展至断裂点的磁力圈

Solar flares⁴ are what happen  若拉力过大，导致磁力圈断裂

when the strain gets too much and the loops snap.  就会产生太阳闪焰

Basically all that energy comes out of the catastrophic  基本上此时磁场会一股脑地

release of energy that's been stored in the magnetic fields.  释放其储存的能量

So like if you wind up an elastic band too much,  好比说把橡皮筋拉得太紧

if you let it go with your fingers  手一放开

that elastic band flies across the room.  就会飞到房间的另一头

When the energy bound within sunspots is released,  被局限在太阳黑子内的能量一旦释放

billions of tonnes of plasma are fired  数十亿噸的电浆便会

far into space at huge speeds.  高速喷向太空

And sometimes they are aimed straight for the Earth.  有时它们朝着地球直扑而来

The flares fly through space for 2 days.  闪焰在太空中前进两天

When they reach us  它们抵达地球时

the earth's own magnetic field deflects⁵ most of the blow.  大半会因地球的磁场而转向

But it is the impact on the magnetic field  但闪焰对磁场造成的冲击

which causes the effects on Earth.  影响了地球

It's called Space weather  这种现象叫做太空天气

and the best of its effects are magical.  而且有时候会产生如梦似幻的结果

 

1 plasma   

n.血浆，细胞质，乳清

参考例句：

• Keep some blood plasma back for the serious cases.留一些血浆给重病号。
• The plasma is the liquid portion of blood that is free of cells .血浆是血液的液体部分，不包含各种细胞。

2 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

3 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。

4 flares   

n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开

参考例句：

• The side of a ship flares from the keel to the deck. 船舷从龙骨向甲板外倾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation. 他是火爆性子，一点就着。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 deflects   

（使）偏斜， （使）偏离， （使）转向( deflect的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• This love is so bright that it deflects all darkness. 这个爱如此光明而可以照亮黑暗。
• Level 3-Deflects 15% of damage taken onto a 600 AoE. 三级-将15%的所受伤害反弹给600范围内的所有敌方单位。