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Last Post 3/19/2008 7:31 PM by  David Alexander
Solar Storms
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Anonymous





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3/19/2008 8:00 AM

    How much energy, heat, and power can a solar storm generate? Dan H (FWMS)


    David Alexander



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    3/19/2008 7:31 PM

    Hello Dan,

    Roughly speaking all of the components of a solar storm have the same energy with an order of magnitude or two. The thermal part of a solar flare contains about 10^22 Joules, the energy in accelerated electrons is 10^21 to 10^25 Joules, the energy in the accelerated protons is about 10^21 to 10^25 Joules, and the kinetic energy of the coronal mass ejection is also about 10^24 Joules.

    As a reference, the power consumption of the United States in a whole year is about 10^20 Joules. So the energy released in a large solar storm is about 100,000 year worth of power for the US.

    Cheers - David



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