Auroas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Auroas - Essay Example The subject of these auroras and related issues such as the aurora borealis and aurora australis are of great significance and importance, and in order to come to a clearer and more knowledgeable understanding of these issues, the related information must be addressed thoroughly. The aim of this paper is to discuss all of this, as well as explain how each of the sub-subject matters are related and correlated. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Auroras are caused by high energy particles from the solar wind that are trapped in the Earth's magnetic field. These particles, as they spiral back and forth along the magnetic field lines, come down into the atmosphere near the north and south magnetic poles where the magnetic field lines disappear into the body of the Earth. "The delicate colors are caused by energetic electrons colliding with oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere. This excites the molecules, and when they decay from the excited states they emit the light that we see in the aurora." (Csep, n.d.). More intricately, the sun sends a constant stream of charged particles, known as a solar wind, into space; then these energized particles interact with a protective magnet shield that shrouds the planet Earth. The Earth's magnetosphere is a sort of shield, which is made up of invisible lines that radiate out into space from the northern and southern poles. The charged particles squeeze the magnetic field into a teardrop shape, and "In the magnetosphere, researchers say, the interaction creates electric fields and electromagnetic waves that transfer their energy to electrons, which then plunge into the atmosphere." (Britt, 2000). "The aurora varies in intensity from brightness equal to that of the Milky Way up to the equivalent of a full Moon," says climatologist Jan Curtis, who photographs auroras from his home in Alaska. "Colors range from mostly greens to reds, and take on the forms of discrete rays, homogenous brands and arcs, or diffuse glowing clouds. Their movement can be stationary, or zip across the entire sky in seconds." (Britt, 2000). Primary auroral particles have energies between few tens eV and few hundred keV, being higher on the nightside than on dayside. Some of them are even accelerated in the field-aligned direction, which indicates the presence of a special auroral acceleration region. "It can be shown that for 2 keV (100keV) electrons the maximum ionization rate occurs at the altitude of about 130 km (85 km)." (Space, 1998). Whereas the average ionization potential of atoms and molecules is about 15 eV, some experimental data show that fast electrons and protons produce one ion-electron pair per 36 eV, and some excess energy is also left for the product electron; this is what leads to electron heating when the energy is being distributed through and among the ambient electron gas. Auroras are considered to appear as "a glow observed in the night sky, usually the polar zone." (Wikipedia, 2006). It is for this reason that some scientists call auroras 'polar auroras' or 'aurora polaris'. In more northern of latitudes, this occurrence is known as 'aurora borealis', which is Latin for

Marketing of Petro-Chemicals in a Global Economy Term Paper

Marketing of Petro-Chemicals in a Global Economy - Term Paper Example Food and water supply, transport, and mobility services require energy input. Fossil fuels are predominant in our current energy system, providing low-cost and reliable energy services. Renewable resources are used as well, especially hydropower and wind power, but also biomass resources in developing countries.† Consequently, the U.S. Department of Energy stated that a major percentage of its oil use is benefitted by the industrialized world. The petrochemical product needs are expected to occur in the transportation sector. The transportation sector has few economically competitive alternatives to oil as a source of major energy. In the developing world, the demand for petrochemical products, especially crude oil demand, forecasted to rise to unprecedented levels by all energy using sectors. The increasing need is apparent as emerging economies are rerouted from noncommercial fuels, which includes wood for home cooking and home heating, to diesel generators. In addition, Edin ger (43) reiterated several academic researches indicate the global energy demand is forecasted to heighten significantly during the next decades to come. The United States Department of Energy wrote a reliable report that the International Energy Outlook 2001 where the projected worldwide energy use will reach as much as overshooting the 600 quadrillion Btu in 2020. The reliable forecast was revised to a lower figure from its original 1998 energy projection because of the economic crises in Asia which began in 1997 as well as the declining Russian economy. The unavoidable devaluation of the Russian money, ruble, and the collapse of the Russian finance sector precipitated to the declining Russian economy. There were new petrochemical producing nations that had been set up to the local communities’ need for energy. The countries produce petrochemical products to fill the continuing and increasing energy demands of factories, homes, and other customers. Thailand is one of the c ountries producing petrochemical products prioritizing filling the local petrochemical needs. Malaysia is another new country generating petrochemical products to supply the local petrochemical needs. Indonesia is a third nation producing petrochemical goods to supply the domestic petrochemical market. A fourth country, China, discovered petrochemical products to fill the oil-related needs of its homes, and local industries. With the new country competitors in the global petrochemical market, the prior competitors, United Sates, Europe, and Japan, realized a significant decline in the demand for petrochemical products in the global market place. Consequently, the three original petrochemical product producers had to contend with a lower 37 percent demand for their combined petrochemical products Edinger (43). Petrochemical products come from fossil fuels. Crude oil is a fossil fuel. Natural gas liquids are another group of fossil fuels. Coal is a very popular fossil fuel. Natural ga s is another very salable fossil fuel. These fossil fuel products are used as a major source of energy, especially electricity needs of the homes, offices, and other places. There is an increasing demand for petrochemical products. As the population grows, the demand for the petrochemical products grows. During the 2010 accounting year, there need for petrochemical products an estimated 430 quadrillion British Thermal Gas units