4 ms·
No, it's a chaotic system that is quasistable for an average of 11 years at a time before it flips to the opposite orientation with respect to the spin axis. Th
by Thrymr 13y ago
No, it's a chaotic system that is quasistable for an average of 11 years at a time before it flips to the opposite orientation with respect to the spin axis. The Earth's magnetic field, generated by currents in the liquid outer core, is a similar magnetohydrodynamic system that has no apparent periodicity.
- contingencies 13y agoSo astronomical objects are classifiable under a magnetic AC/DC onotology? Wow. Seems like dualism dies hard.
- OGC 13y agoHow can you get that from that reply? He specifically said they are not.
- contingencies 13y agoErr, I'm not sure how your brain works but it's obviously different to mine. Fear not, in heterogeneity lies strength!
- ced 13y agoDisclaimer: I worked on the solar magnetic field for two summers. Whether the sun is chaotic in the technical sense (i.e. the butterfly effect) is still open to question [1]. The solar magnetic field is poorly understood. In the 1980s, everybody thought that a particular model (mean-field dynamos IIRC) had it all figured out, but new observations from helioseismology showed them wrong. Wikipedia has a good article on the solar cycle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cycle My advisor wrote a more technical overview: http://solarphysics.livingreviews.org/Articles/lrsp-2010-3/articlese5.html#x29-500005 http://solarphysics.livingreviews.org/Articles/lrsp-2010-3/a... [1] See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_theory#Distinguishing_random_from_chaotic_data https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_theory#Distinguishing_ra...