Previous | Session 10 | Next
E. Sauder (Hempfield High School)
The purpose of the experiment was to determine the effect the sunspot number would have on the number and intensity of solar flares. The hypothesis stated that as the sunspot number increased, the number and intensity of solar flares would also increase during the same time period. In the experiment, a 3.05 meter radio telescope capable of detecting the radio wave signals produced by solar flares at 3.7 - 4.2 GHz was constructed. The telescope tracked the Sun during weather appropriate days over a seventy-five day period. Solar flare occurrences were interpreted from the data received. Twenty-two solar flare events were successfully recorded by the telescope and verified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites. The results of the experiment did not support the hypothesis. No significant relationship appeared between the sunspot number and either the recorded flares by the telescope or the recorded flares by NOAA. Future research could test the hypothesis that the number and intensity of flare events may be directly related to the size of individual sunspot groups. With the ability to predict the occurrence of solar flares from sunspot activity, it may be possible to prevent the damage to power grids and satellites caused by solar flares.
Previous | Session 10 | Next
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.