美国国家公共电台 NPR--An explanation of reports that part of the sun has broken off

An explanation of reports that part of the sun has broken off

Transcript¹

A part of the sun has broken off and was swept up in a polar vortex. Scientists say it's not as dangerous as it sounds.

ASMA KHALID, HOST:

Did a piece of the sun really break off recently? A massive solar flare² has raised that question, and Scott McIntosh took it on. He's deputy director at the National Center for Atmospheric³ Research, and he says the answer is yes.

SCOTT MCINTOSH: Bits of the sun of various sizes break off all the time. You know, the sun's outer atmosphere is like a churning, bubbling cauldron, right? And occasionally, stuff heats and cools and gets ejected out of the atmosphere. Some of it falls back down and cools, and some of it goes off into interplanetary space.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

McIntosh says plasma⁴ can form a large loop on the sun's surface. When that happens, it's called a solar prominence⁵, and they are common. Although, this recent one that's getting all the attention was different.

MCINTOSH: Sure, we see lots of these guys on the edge of the sun, and we see them doing their little circular dance. But this guy, it was the whole thing, right? The whole thing lifted off and went around.

INSKEEP: I love the personification. This guy lifted off. Now McIntosh is wondering what caused this unique solar vortex.

MCINTOSH: We have a strong suspicion that what happens at the sun's poles - because it reverses its magnetic field every 22 years, about every 11 years, there's a sign change at the poles. Something in that polar reversal process, we call it, is tied to how the sun's magnetic field works, which is the thing that propagates through the whole solar system.

KHALID: While scientists keep looking for answers, do not be alarmed. McIntosh assures us this stuff poses no risk to us people down here on Earth.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 flare   

v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发

参考例句：

• The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
• You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。

3 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

4 plasma   

n.血浆，细胞质，乳清

参考例句：

• Keep some blood plasma back for the serious cases.留一些血浆给重病号。
• The plasma is the liquid portion of blood that is free of cells .血浆是血液的液体部分，不包含各种细胞。

5 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。