Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How do convection currents transport energy through the outer part of the Sun?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Solar system
The planets (in comparative size) in order of distance from the Sun.
In the outer 30 percent of the Sun, known as the convective zone, energy is transported through convection rather than radiation. This process involves the movement of great currents of hot plasma, which carry heat upward toward the surface.1
The mechanism relies heavily on the ionization of hydrogen:
- Ionization and Transport: Atoms are ionized at the base of the convective zone and carried upward into cooler regions.1
- Energy Release: As these atoms reach cooler areas, they recombine, a process that liberates the energy of ionization.1
- Surface Manifestation: This convective motion is visible in the photosphere as a granular structure, where individual cells of hot gas rise, radiate their energy, and then sink back down to be replaced by new material.2
Just below the solar surface, radiation transport becomes efficient again, but the underlying convective currents remain a primary driver of energy movement and are potentially linked to the sunspot cycle.1