How Solar Flares Work and the Risks They Pose

A sudden flash of brightness on the Suns surface is called a solar flare. If the effect is seen on a star besides the Sun, the phenomenon is called a stellar flare. A stellar or solar flare releases a vast amount of energy, typically on the order of  1 Ãâ€" 1025  joules, over a broad spectrum of wavelengths and particles. This amount of energy is comparable to the explosion of 1 billion megatons of TNT or ten million volcanic eruptions. In addition to light, a solar flare may eject atoms, electrons, and ions into space in what is called a coronal mass ejection. When particles are released by the Sun, they are able to reach Earth within a day or two. Fortunately, the mass may be ejected outward in any direction, so the Earth isnt always affected. Unfortunately, scientists arent able to forecast flares, only give a warning when one has occurred. The most powerful solar flare was the first one that was observed. The event occurred on September 1, 1859, and is called the Solar Storm of 1859 or the Carrington Event. It was reported independently by astronomer Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson. This flare was visible to the naked eye, set telegraph systems aflame, and produced auroras all the way down to Hawaii and Cuba. While scientists at the time didnt have the ability to measure the strength of the solar flare, modern scientists were able to reconstruct the event based on nitrate and the isotope beryllium-10 produced from the radiation. Essentially, evidence of the flare was preserved in ice in Greenland. How  a Solar Flare Works Like planets, stars consists of multiple layers. In the case of a solar flare, all layers of the Suns atmosphere are affected. In other words, energy is released from the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. Flares tend to occur near sunspots, which are regions of intense magnetic fields. These fields link the atmosphere of the Sun to its interior. Flares are believed to result from a process called magnetic reconnection, when loops of magnetic force break apart, rejoin  and release energy. When magnetic energy is suddenly released by the corona (suddenly meaning over a matter of minutes), light and particles are accelerated into space. The source of the released matter appears to be material from the unconnected helical magnetic field, however, scientists havent completely worked out how flares work and why there are sometimes more released particles than the amount within a coronal loop. Plasma in the affected area reaches temperatures in the order of tens of million Kelvin, wh ich is nearly as hot as the Suns core. The electrons, protons, and ions are accelerated by the intense energy to nearly the speed of light. Electromagnetic radiation covers the entire spectrum, from gamma rays to radio waves. The energy released in the visible part of the spectrum makes some solar flares observable to the naked eye, but most of the energy is outside the visible range, so flares are observed using scientific instrumentation. Whether or not a solar flare is accompanied by a coronal mass ejection is not readily predictable. Solar flares may also release a flare spray, which involves an ejection of material that is faster than a solar prominence. Particles released from a flare spray may attain a velocity of 20 to 200 kilometers per second (kps). To put this into perspective, the speed of light is 299.7 kps! How Often Do Solar Flares Occur? Smaller solar flares occur more often than large ones. The frequency of any flare occurring depends on the activity of the Sun. Following the 11-year solar cycle, there may be several flares per day during an active part of the cycle, compared with fewer than one per week during a quiet phase. During peak activity, there may be 20 flares a day and over 100 per week. How Solar Flares Are Classified An earlier method of solar flare classification was based on the intensity of  the  HÃŽ ±Ã‚  line of the solar spectrum. The modern classification system categorizes flares according to their peak flux of 100 to 800 picometer X-rays, as observed by the GOES spacecraft that orbit the Earth. Classification Peak Flux (Watts per square meter) A 10−7 B 10−7 – 10−6 C 10−6 – 10−5 M 10−5 – 10−4 X 10−4 Each category is further ranked on a linear scale, such that an X2 flare is twice as potent as an X1 flare. Ordinary Risks From Solar Flares Solar flares produce what is called solar weather on Earth. The solar wind impacts the magnetosphere of the Earth, producing aurora borealis and australis, and presenting a radiation risk to satellites, spacecraft, and astronauts. Most of the risk is to objects in low Earth orbit, but coronal mass ejections from solar flares can knock out power systems on Earth and completely disable satellites. If satellites did come down,  cell phones and GPS systems would be without service. The ultraviolet light and x-rays released by a flare disrupt long-range radio and likely increase the risk of sunburn and cancer. Could a Solar Flare Destroy the Earth? In a word: yes. While the planet itself would survive an encounter with a superflare, the atmosphere could be bombarded with radiation and all life could be obliterated. Scientists have observed the release of superflares from other stars up to 10,000 times more powerful than a typical solar flare. While most of these flares occur in stars that have more powerful magnetic fields than our Sun, about 10% of the time the star is comparable to or weaker than the Sun. From studying tree rings, researchers believe Earth has experienced two small superflares— one in 773 C.E. and another in 993 C.E. Its possible we can expect a superflare about once a millennium. The chance of an extinction level superflare is unknown. Even normal flares can have devastating consequences. NASA revealed Earth narrowly missed a catastrophic solar flare on July 23, 2012. If the flare had occurred just a week earlier, when it was pointed directly at us, society would have been knocked back to the Dark Ages. The intense radiation would have disabled electrical grids, communication, and GPS on a global scale. How likely is such an event in the future? Physicist Pete Rile calculates the odds of a disruptive solar flare is 12% per 10 years. How to Predict Solar Flares At present, scientists cannot predict a solar flare with any degree of accuracy. However, high sunspot activity is associated with an increased chance of flare production. Observation of sunspots, particularly the type called delta spots, is used to calculate the probability of a flare occurring and how strong it will be. If a strong flare (M or X class) is predicted, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issues a forecast/warning. Usually, the warning allows for 1-2 days of preparation. If a solar flare and coronal mass ejection occur, the severity of the flares impact on Earth depends on the type of particles released and how directly the flare faces the Earth. Sources Big Sunspot 1520 Releases X1.4 Class Flare With Earth-Directed CME. NASA. July 12, 2012.Description of a Singular Appearance seen in the Sun on September 1, 1859, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v20, pp13, 1859.Karoff, Christoffer. Observational evidence for enhanced magnetic activity of superflare stars. Nature Communications volume 7, Mads Faurschou Knudsen, Peter De Cat, et al., Article number: 11058, March 24, 2016.

Micro Organizational Behavior - 2607 Words

RUNNING HEAD: MICRO-ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Micro-Organizational Behavior Robert Alford Grantham University MICRO-ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Abstract During the course of this class my focus will be on the use of micro-organizational behavior and to focus on and discuss the finer points of behavior within a large organization such as that of the military or that of Wal-Mart Corporation. Furthermore I will talk about the process of decision-making and cooperation between small groups of people and how it affects the organization or company. The ultimate focus of my project is to gain a full understanding of the concept of micro-organizational behavior and to relay how the issues that surround†¦show more content†¦Let’s begin to discuss and look at the effects of micro-organizational behavior within a corporation. The effect associated with micro-organizational behavior as it applies to the military is that of minimal effects. What are the strategic implications of organizational behavior for your selected industry or business? The organization MICRO-ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR that was chosen to do an analysis of micro-organizational behavior will be that of the military and as a second industry would be that of United Parcel Service (UPS). As a person that has served in the military the concept of micro-organizational behavior is something that is applied on a daily basis. The soldiers are challenged constantly to work together as a cohesive unit and team. When it Micro organizational behavior refers to individual and group dynamics in an organizational setting.Micro organizational behavior refers to individual and group dynamics in an organizational setting.Micro organizational behavior refers to individual and group dynamics in an organizational is time for a mission or training event to take place micro-organizational behavior is put into action. 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Bill Gates and Warren Buffett Essay Example For Students

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett Essay In business world the manager is a leader of the company that leads his/her employees to success and happiness. Being qualified for this positions one must have these aspects, aggressive, motivated, risk taker, respectful and trustworthy. One who has these qualifies is a successful manager. Two people in this world that clearly showed these qualifications are Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. They are the two of smartest, wealthiest and goal oriented people on this planet. They both succeeded in two different areas but both had the same aspects in being a manager of their company. The video Warren Buffett and Bill Gates on Success was with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett answering questions at University of Washington School of Business about their success and helpful tips they have learned for future successful business men and women. The video showed many aspects that gave knowledge and practices for everyone to use to become a successful manager and having a successful company. They both were very friendly and out-going with the audience which showed that what they are doing is what they really enjoy. Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are two who are admire and looked up to millions of people worldwide by their knowledge and their success they have today. Bill gates and Warren Buffett are the two most successful people in the United States some might even call them the American folk hero. Bill Gates has an aggressive, winner-takes-all attitude; he transformed Microsoft, a small niche company, into the most influential company in the computer industry and the world for that matter. Hes driven, intelligent and doesnt apologize for the fact that he can take you down in a flash. He is also the co-founder and chairman of Microsoft, the worlds largest and most powerful (and most profitable) software company. And by the way, he is the richest man on the planet with an estimated fortune of $70 billion US (as of November 2000). (http://www.askmen.com/men/business_politics/33_bill_gates.html) Warren Buffett came from a small town and made it big without losing sight of his roots in the process. Even though he is a billionaire many times over, he still lives in the same house he bought before he was rich and is considered an all-around good guy. Hes tough but modest, and for that we salute him. He turned his company, Berkshire Hathaway, almost single-handedly over the last 30 years, into a Fortune 500 powerhouse. He has amassed a personal fortune of $36 billion dollars and is considered the most successful investor of all-time. (http://www.askmen.com/men/business_politics/43c_warren_buffett.html)The video Warren Buffett and Bill Gates on Success was with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett at University of Washington School of Business answering questions from audience about their lives, their success, and company skills. They talked and touched on many important skills and aspects to implement as a good manager of your company. There were many important aspects that can be learned from the review of the video. The three most important aspects from the video were love what your do, surround yourself with people whom you respect and trust, and be willing to take risks. The first aspect learned from the video is love what you do. When working with a company or anything you must love what your do or you will not be able to put one hundred percent of your focus, effort, and skill into doing your job. Loving your job is the best feeling in the world because you are doing something that fulfills happiness and maybe even entertainment while being paid for it. Bill gates and Warren Buffett are one of the two most wealthiest people in the world and still put one hundred percent focus, effort, and skill into there job not because of the paycheck because they already have billions of dollars but also because they love what the do and get up each morning loving their job and the every day to day task and experience. There are millions of people all over the country that do not love what they do which really hurts their work progress and success in the business world. When you look at the Theory X, it states that workers are lazy, not motivated, slow, and low productivity. This is a major result of not loving what you do. Not loving what you do will cause you to fall under the Theory X and labeled as a lazy worker. The video teaches us to love what you do and what will follow is success and happiness. Salem Witch Trials. EssayAnother aspect that the video taught that as a manager I would implement is to be a role model and or leader. When youre a manager of a company you have some or even many employees under you that look up to you as a role model. This is true but you are also a leader to them. They listen to you and follow you as you guide them and lead them to success. This aspect can also be combine with the aspect of love what you do. This is because as a manager I must love what I do because I have many co-workers and employees that look up to me hoping and working hard will to get to my position to lead others. Therefore I am a role model and leader to the other co-workers and employees of my company. Another aspect this overlaps of the important aspects of the video and that is to surround yourself with people whom you respect and trust. By when other employees sees you respecting and trusting everyone around yourself equality they take note of that. They see someone wh o will succeed and lead them to success and this become one of their goals to get to your position. I as a manager will become a role model to the other co-workers and employees. There are many important aspects for a manager that the video could not cover in the one hour of tape. In the class we discussed about many important aspects also. There is one important aspect and or skill a successful manager should have that the video touch on a little but not all of it and that is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to connect with people and understand their emotions. Emotional intelligence can be broken down into five key factors they are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. The video talked about one of them a little and that is motivation. The other four are very important too. The first one is self-awareness which is to understand your own moods, emotions, and needs, as well as their impact on others. Second one is self-r egulation which is to control impulsiveness, calming down anxiety, and reaching with appropriate anger to situations. Third is motivation which is a passion to work for reasons in addition to money and status. The four is empathy which is to understand and respond to the unspoken feelings of others. And last is social skill which is competency in managing relationships, building networks of support, and having a positive relationship with people. These five factors of emotional intelligence is a very important aspect to a successful manager because it is the key factors in dealing with people and developing relations with the people and keeping the relations strong and long. As a manager of my company emotional intelligence is a very important aspect in having a successful company. To be a successful manager one must have the knowledge of all the aspects that were discussed throughout the paper. Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are perfect examples of successful managers. They clearly showed important aspects to be a successful manager and that is loving what you do, surrounding themselves with people whom they respect and trusted, emotional intelligence and were willing to take risks. Their success has motivated and inspired millions to succeed in their company and in their lives. Today in the business world there are many successful business men and women that succeed in their own areas of business. The main reasons of their success are of their aspects on managing their company from taking risks to motivation and commitment. A successful manager is also a leader to the other co-workers and employees of the company; he/she must guide and lead them to success and happiness. Work Cited1. No author. (2004, November) Man of the week. Online Available: http://www.askmen.com/men/business_politics/33_bill_gates.html/. November 28, 2004. 2. No author. (2004, November) Man of the week. Online Available: http://www.askmen.com/men/business_politics/43c_warren_buffett.html./ November 28, 2004.