Problems are listed in approximate order of difficulty. A single dot (•) indicates straightforward problems involving just one main concept and sometimes requiring no more than substitution of numbers in the appropriate formula. Two dots (••) identify problems that are slightly more challenging and usually involve more than one concept. Three dots (•••) indicate problems that are distinctly more challenging, either because they are intrinsically difficult or involve lengthy calculations. Needless to say, these distinctions are hard to draw and are only approximate.
•• (Section 15.8) The outer atmosphere of the sun, called the corona, consists mostly of protons and extends out to distances of two to three times the radius of the sun. The temperature of the corona is extraordinarily high, approximately 1 million degrees Kelvin (the cause of this high temperature is still not well understood), (a) Compute the approximate escape speed for particles in the outer corona. (b) Approximately what fraction of the protons in the outer corona have a thermal speed greater than the escape speed? [Protons escaping from the corona cause the “solar wind.”]
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