The Sun's Cycle

Summer 2012

Previous issues

E-mail

Facebook

RESEARCH
Getting Hotter All the Time
Israeli Cinema: Perverting the Image of Holocaust Survivors
Can We Split Our Attention?
Violent Digital Games: Are They Just a Game?
Video Screening for ADD
The Sun's Cycles

STUDENTS & GRADUATES
Blind Date with the Open University
"The Open University: A Superior Training Ground for Professional Success"
From Tractor Driver to Master's Degree
A Family Affair

TECHNOLOGY
Digital University: Mobile Digital Books Project
Is Technology Tromping the ABC's?

INITIATIVES - LANGUAGE
Arabic-Speaking Students Study in Arabic
Sao Paulo University Students Learn About Israeli Society in Spanish

EVENTS
Graduation Ceremonies
The 7th Chais Conference
Evening in Honor of Dov Lautman
Visit by NASA Astronaut, William S. McArthur, Jr.
Exhibition: "Fireworks Blossoming in the Winter"
"Psychic Numbing of Genocide"

INTERNATIONAL
Conference at Cambridge University
Cambridge in Ra'anana
American Friends: The Open University Foundation

HIGHLIGHTS
Dr. Milly Perry
Prof. Yoav Yair
Prof. Yoram Eshet
Aviel Atias
Laurence Berry
Edna Tal
SuperBrands Israel
Prof. Judith Gal-Ezer
Co-editors: Elissa Allerhand, Ilene Bloch-Levy Photographer: Gideon Markowitz Graphic Designer: Laura Grinberg Web Manager: Batsheva Engelberg-Behr Web Master: Sonia Pechersky

RESEARCH
The Sun's Cycles Shutterstock/James Thew Will cell phones stop working? Will spy satellites be damaged? Are there any extra precautions we can take with manned space satellites? These were some of the concerns of attendees to the Open University's "Solar Cycle" Conference where experts from overseas and Israel shared their knowledge, predictions and ideas for preparing for the possible direct consequences of the 24th solar cycle. Solar Cycle 24, which began in 2008, will be peaking within the next few months and the potential for impacting on space and earth communications infrastructures is great. Since the 18th century, scientists have been monitoring solar cycles, quantifying their activities. A solar cycle waxes and wanes in 11-years cycle and is characterized by a higher frequency of sun spots and sun storms during the maximal years and virtually no such events during the minimal years. The previous solar cycle, Solar Cycle 23, peaked in 2000-2002 with many furious solar storms. That cycle decayed as usual to the present last period of unusually extended quiet leaving solar physicists little to do other than wonder when the next cycle would begin. Questioning the Models This 24th solar cycle officially began in 2008, and not only did the period of wondering when it would begin end, but also solar scientists began to notice a difference in the plotting of their standard models. "Recently, the 'point' from the sun's last long minimum (whose length was extraordinary, surprising scientists) has been characterized by growing activity," according to Prof. Yoav Yair, an atmospheric scientist and Dean of Development and Learning Technologies in the Department of Life and Natural Sciences at the Open University of Israel. How this impacts on our lives was a key subject of the conference. "Sun storms impact on the earth's magnetic field and can, therefore, interfere in or damage electrical infrastructures, such as power lines and generators, photo communcation satellites and spy equipment, to name a few," according to Prof. Yair. The reliability of current models used by scientists and their accuracy in predicting future trends was another subject discussed. Dr. Ofer Cohen of the Smithsonian-Harvard Observatory and conference participant questioned the accuracy of some models that solar scientists rely upon. "We cannot claim yet that we fully understand the solar cycle, as we do not have reliable tools to predict. The advancement in computational power should significantly increase our ability to accurately model the solar cycle and to have better cycle prediction." Dr. Cohen also urged greater inter-disciplinary cooperation among scientists. "We need to better understand the solar-heliospheric magnetic connection in terms of the solar cycle. The current separation of domains causes incomplete investigation of the magnetic system. We also need to improve our knowledge about the solar-stellar collection and stellar activity."

RESEARCH

The Sun's Cycles

Shutterstock/James Thew

Will cell phones stop working? Will spy satellites be damaged? Are there any extra precautions we can take with manned space satellites?

These were some of the concerns of attendees to the Open University's "Solar Cycle" Conference where experts from overseas and Israel shared their knowledge, predictions and ideas for preparing for the possible direct consequences of the 24th solar cycle.

Solar Cycle 24, which began in 2008, will be peaking within the next few months and the potential for impacting on space and earth communications infrastructures is great.

Since the 18th century, scientists have been monitoring solar cycles, quantifying their activities.

A solar cycle waxes and wanes in 11-years cycle and is characterized by a higher frequency of sun spots and sun storms during the maximal years and virtually no such events during the minimal years. The previous solar cycle, Solar Cycle 23, peaked in 2000-2002 with many furious solar storms. That cycle decayed as usual to the present last period of unusually extended quiet leaving solar physicists little to do other than wonder when the next cycle would begin.

Questioning the Models

This 24th solar cycle officially began in 2008, and not only did the period of wondering when it would begin end, but also solar scientists began to notice a difference in the plotting of their standard models. "Recently, the 'point' from the sun's last long minimum (whose length was extraordinary, surprising scientists) has been characterized by growing activity," according to Prof. Yoav Yair, an atmospheric scientist and Dean of Development and Learning Technologies in the Department of Life and Natural Sciences at the Open University of Israel.

How this impacts on our lives was a key subject of the conference. "Sun storms impact on the earth's magnetic field and can, therefore, interfere in or damage electrical infrastructures, such as power lines and generators, photo communcation satellites and spy equipment, to name a few," according to Prof. Yair.

The reliability of current models used by scientists and their accuracy in predicting future trends was another subject discussed. Dr. Ofer Cohen of the Smithsonian-Harvard Observatory and conference participant questioned the accuracy of some models that solar scientists rely upon. "We cannot claim yet that we fully understand the solar cycle, as we do not have reliable tools to predict. The advancement in computational power should significantly increase our ability to accurately model the solar cycle and to have better cycle prediction."

Dr. Cohen also urged greater inter-disciplinary cooperation among scientists. "We need to better understand the solar-heliospheric magnetic connection in terms of the solar cycle. The current separation of domains causes incomplete investigation of the magnetic system. We also need to improve our knowledge about the solar-stellar collection and stellar activity."