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Question
Roughly how much raw material gets blasted out from the sun in the form of charged particles and whatnot from the solar wind?
Hello.
The solar wind in its normal, quiescent mode - at around the Earth's distance from the Sun (1 AU or 93 million miles) has a density of about 7 particles per cubic centimeter, and velocity of ~ 400 km/s.
This solar wind plasma consists primarily of hot electrons (e-)and protons (H+) with roughly 3-5% of the mass in the form of He ++ ions.
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Answers by Expert:
Philip Stahl
Expertise
I have forty years of experience in Astronomy, specifically solar and space physics. My specialties include the physics of solar flares, sunspots, including their effects on Earth and statistics as applied to astronomical investigations.
Experience
Astronomy: more than forty years experience starting with construction of my own simple telescopes. Worked at university observatory in college, doing astrographic measurements. M.Phil. degree in Physics/Solar Physics and more than ten years as researcher.
Organizations
American Astronomical Society (Solar Physics and Dynamical Astronomy divisions), American Mathematical Society, American Geophysical Union
Publications
Solar Physics (journal), The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, The Proceedings of the Meudon Solar Flare Workshop (1986), The Proceedings of the Caribbean Physics Conference (1985). Books: 'Selected Analyses in Solar Flare Plasma Dynamics', 'Physics Notes for Advanced Level'.
Education/Credentials
B.A. Astronomy, M. Phil. Physics
Awards and Honors
American Astronomical Society Studentship Award (1984), Barbados Government Award for Solar Research
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