What is the approximate temperature difference between the base and the surface of the Sun's convective zone?
Answer
Drops from about 2 million Kelvin to about 5,778 Kelvin
The convective zone is defined by a dramatic temperature drop as energy moves outward toward the photosphere. At the deepest part of the zone, near the boundary with the radiative layer, the plasma temperature is high, estimated to be around 2 million Kelvin. As the hot buoyant material rises and transfers its heat to the surroundings, it cools significantly. By the time this material reaches the visible surface, or photosphere, its temperature has decreased sharply to approximately 5,778 Kelvin, providing the substantial thermal differential that powers the entire convective churning process.
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?