Question

What are coronal holes?

A) areas of the corona where magnetic field lines project out into space, allowing charged particles to
escape and form the solar wind

B) tunnels in the outer layers of the Sun that allow photons to escape and form the solar wind

C) regions in the photosphere where magnetic lines gather, creating cooler areas with much less plasma

D) areas in the corona that allow us to see through to the photosphere

E) all of the above

Answer 1

Coronal holes are darker, cooler areas in the Sun's corona where the magnetic field lines extend into space, allowing charged particles to escape and form the solar wind.

Step-by-step explanation:

Coronal holes are large dark regions in the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, that appear darker because they contain less hot gas than their surroundings. These areas are where the solar magnetic field lines stretch out into space rather than looping back down to the Sun's surface. This configuration allows charged particles to escape more easily and form the solar wind. Therefore, the solar wind emerges predominantly from these coronal holes, where gas can stream into space unhindered by magnetic fields. Unlike coronal holes, hot coronal gas is mainly present in areas where the magnetic field has trapped and concentrated it.