Dynamics of stellar atmospheres

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The atmosphere of a star is the outer layer from which the light comes, and so analysis of starlight tells us about the physical characteristics of these gases. I use the high-resolution coude spectrograph at the University of Western Ontario to investigate light from stars where the atmospheres are very dynamic, meaning they are churned by convection, spun before our eyes as the star rotates, permeated with magnetic fields that change with time, show dark-cool regions called spots, have giant storms, and expel mass into space. My research helps us understand how stars 'work,' which is interesting in its own right, but also expands our understanding of similar processes on earth. In the cosmos, the closest example of stellar dynamics is on our sun; there is increasing evidence that the solar variations may influence climate on earth. I am exploring variations in temperature, convection, and magnetic fields, and measuring rates of rotation in sun-like stars to see how our sun compares, and by inference, what the sun is likely to do in the future.