Strong magnetic fields discovered in majority of stars

Posted: January 4, 2016 by oldbrew in Astrophysics, research, Solar physics, solar system dynamics
Tags: ,

Our magnetic Sun [image credit:]

Our magnetic Sun [image credit:]

If you’re wondering why this is news, read on – it has taken at least some scientists by surprise, reports
No magnetism without electricity

Strong magnetic fields discovered in majority of stars—Finding to impact understanding of stellar evolution


Using data from NASA’s Kepler mission, the team found that stars only slightly more massive than the Sun have internal magnetic fields up to 10 million times that of the Earth, with important implications for evolution and the ultimate fate of stars. “This is tremendously exciting, and totally unexpected,” said lead researcher, astrophysicist Associate Professor Dennis Stello from the University of Sydney.”

Because only 5 percent of stars were previously thought to host strong magnetic fields, current models of how stars evolve lack magnetic fields as a fundamental ingredient,” Associate Professor Stello said. “Such fields have simply been regarded insignificant for our general understanding of stellar evolution. Our result clearly shows this assumption needs to be revisited.”

The results will enable scientists to test more directly theories of how magnetic fields form and evolve—a process known as magnetic dynamos—inside stars. This could potentially lead to a better general understanding of magnetic dynamos, including the dynamo controlling the Sun’s 22-year magnetic cycle, which is known to affect communication systems and cloud cover on Earth.

“Now it is time for the theoreticians to investigate why these magnetic fields are so common,” Associate Professor Stello concluded.

Full report with graphics: Strong magnetic fields discovered in majority of stars

  1. oldbrew says:


    Something to do with electricity in the universe perhaps?

  2. p.g.sharrow says:

    Well a hydrogen star does not need an organized magnetic field. An Iron core one must!
    Maybe Astrophysics needs a reworking, a lot of the existing standard theories must be reconsidered. Matter in motion must also have Electrical components…pg

  3. John Silver says:


  4. Old Brew, look at this, I mentioned it in an email to Roger as a possible separate post as it mentions not only magnetic fields but the effect of tides etc. Here is the abstract
    “This study presents a hypothesis of the origin and maintain of the magnetic field of the
    Earth and the planets. The mechanism of the tides on the opposite side of the Earth from
    the Moon is considered. The possible causes that enforce the continents to displace are
    discussed in couple with the causes that distort the shape of the Earth, and the causes of
    the jumps of the astronomical time. A mechanism of earthquakes is proposed, as well
    as a version of the appearance of the “magnetic tubes” in the Sun. The source of the
    forces causing the equatorial current and wind is shown.”

  5. I should have added the contents of the article mentioned above
    1. Introduction
    2. Tides
    3. Currents
    4. Earthquakes
    5. Time jumps and killer waves
    6. Causes of a dip appearing in the gravity graph during
    the Sun’s passage across the sky
    7. On motion of the magnetic poles
    8. Conclusion
    Appendix. A short comparison of the planets’ magnetic
    fields depending on the number of their moons
    and other properties

    By the way Progress in Physics ( ) has some other interesting articles. As mentioned in the email to Roger the article on the Catt question ( by Stephen Crothers second from last in Jan 2016 issue ) is worth reading and also read about Ivor Catt here – Seems that there is much more to be learnt about electrical and magnetic fields and electromagnetic waves.

  6. oldbrew says:

    Wikipedia says:

    Surely these scientists shouldn’t be surprised to detect magnetism in other stars?

    @ cementafriend
    Thanks, I’ll have a look later.

  7. Wayne Job says:

    Hi Tallbloke and commenters, a friend of mine has been doing experiments on my property. We are making magnetic fields without electricity about a Km in diameter with weird effects. Strange stuff tell you all more soon.

  8. oldbrew says:

    Compasses tell us magnetism is already worldwide.

  9. tallbloke says:


    So how strong is our Sun’s field relative to Earth’s?

  10. oldbrew says:

    Solar Magnetic Field (from NASA fact sheet)

    Typical magnetic field strengths for various parts of the Sun

    Polar Field: 1 – 2 Gauss
    Sunspots: 3000 Gauss
    Prominences: 10 – 100 Gauss
    Chromospheric plages: 200 Gauss
    Bright chromospheric network: 25 Gauss
    Ephemeral (unipolar) active regions: 20 Gauss

    Earth’s magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from the Earth’s interior to where it meets the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. Its magnitude at the Earth’s surface ranges from 25 to 65 microteslas (0.25 to 0.65 gauss)
    – Wikipedia

  11. oldbrew says:

    TB: just came across this…

    ‘The strength of the field at the Earth’s surface ranges from less than 30 microteslas (0.3 gauss) in an area including most of South America and South Africa to over 60 microteslas (0.6 gauss) around the magnetic poles in northern Canada and south of Australia, and in part of Siberia. The average magnetic field strength in the Earth’s outer core was measured to be 25 Gauss, 50 times stronger than the magnetic field at the surface. [my italics]

    The field is similar to that of a bar magnet. The Earth’s magnetic field is mostly caused by electric currents in the liquid outer core.’

  12. […] Source: Strong magnetic fields discovered in majority of stars […]

  13. Wayne Job says:

    Oldbrew, A magnetic compass inside a car suddenly points south within 1/2 Km of our device, the out side of the car is a north pole all round. RHS tubing gets multiple poles along its length we are now doing an experiment to find out the pattern of poles around our device.

    The other intrigue is that X-ray film becomes exposed without X-rays within the same radius. The university of Melbourne X-ray department are totally baffled. Hope that gives a better view of the strangeness that I spoke of. Wayne

  14. tallbloke says:

    C’mon Wayne, give us some tantalising clues. Is anything spinning inside your device?

  15. Wayne Job says:

    Hi Tallbloke, Give you all the details soon.

  16. Sparks says:

    I’ve been arguing for years that planetary and solar polar fields are a product of mass by way of E-mc2, the movement of polar fields produces current, when it comes to solar polar fields they can short out when they are nudged toward each other to form sunspots… this is what produces high energy spikes in uv and xray… the movement of large polar fields is what causes solar cycles and the speed of this movement is what regulates the intensity of solar cycles… solar polar fields should be viewed as large polarities prouduced by the mass of a star and not be confused by magnietic fields or localized magnetic distortions produced by the interaction of these polarities… now, I can not put it any clearer that this, any questions? 😉

  17. tallbloke says:

    That meshes pretty much with Ray Tomes’ view too. He hypothesises that the energy mass relation in production of energy from mass in the solar core causes a vertical wobble of the core relative to the Sun’s envelope. That’s induced by the motion of the gas giants relative to the solar equatorial plane. The effect is the upwelling at the solar poles and motion of sunspots towards the equator as the solar cycle progresses.