How is energy primarily transported in the radiative zone?
Answer
Repeated absorption and re-emission of photons
The radiative zone relies on the mechanism of radiation for energy transfer. In this process, photons, generated during nuclear fusion in the core, travel outward by being continually absorbed and subsequently re-emitted by the surrounding plasma particles. Because the path of any given photon is highly randomized due to this repeated interaction—described as a tortuous, random walk—the net outward flow of energy is extremely slow, often requiring hundreds of thousands of years for a photon to traverse this region.
Related Questions
What is the approximate starting depth of the Sun's convective zone?How is energy primarily transported in the radiative zone?What structural feature characterizes stars significantly more massive than the Sun?What observable feature on the Sun's photosphere is the visible top of a convective cell?How does energy transit time compare between the convective zone and the radiative zone in the Sun?What structural feature is true for very low-mass stars like red dwarfs?When does the physical principle of convection become dominant over radiation for energy transport?What is the approximate temperature difference between the base and the surface of the Sun's convective zone?What process generates the star's magnetic field due to motions within the convective zone?Why is the precise boundary of the convective zone critical input for stellar evolution codes?What physical principle defines the energy transfer in the convective zone?