Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1982)
. v vsnmwm► Photo courtesy ot Jim Kemp The University's Pine Mountain Observatory is the home of University astronomer Jim Kemp for his studies to predict the occurence of sunspots and other solar activity University astronomer studies method to predict solar actvity By Sandy Johnstone Of the Emerald Jim Kemp is shedding some light on the sun — specifically on sunspots, the solar outbursts caused by magnetic storms on the sun Kemp, a University astromony professor, spends part of his time working near Bend at the University's Pine Mountain Ob servatory, where he exper iments with a new method which measures the sun's submerged magnetic fields using infrared polarized light "Giant bubbles arise from in side the sun and carry the mag netic field to the surface," he explains "My goal is to detect buried magnetic fields before they come to the surface Then we ll be able to predict the onset of solar activity.” Kemp's polarimetry method can obtain "extremely sensitive measurements,” he says Using precise measurements of sub merged magnetic fields, scien tists can predict solar activity such as sunspots. Polarimetry allows Kemp to probe about 500 miles below the sun's surface Previous meth ods allowed scientists to ex plore only about 10 miles down. When he first tried the method in 1981, Kemp achieved "an im mediate success and got the most sensitive measure of sun spots so far It is important for the world wide community to know about the onset of solar activity and events," he says. Operations Cash For Textbooks Mon.- Fri. Smith Family Bookstore 768 E. 13th 1 Bl. From Campus 345-1651 Hrannn Daily Emerald such as space launches, which depend on perfect com municaton, could benefit from this type of knowledge because the energy sunspots send to the earth influences radio communication and the weather Kemp is working with Joseph Macek, an atomic phsycist from the University of Nebraska, on a theory which explains the mag netic polarization of sunsnots by looking at the complicated motions of spinning electrons and atoms combined with unu sual conditions in sunspots Beginnings of his theory emerged with some laboratory research in 1975, but Kemp only began to concentrate on developing his theory about two years ago "The problem before was nobody did good enough ob servations to test any theory,1' he says And besides, no one else thought of this 11 Kemp has a grant for $39,000 from the National Science Foundation, which probably will be renewed, he says He plans to continue his sunspot re search through the 11-year sunspot cycle Kemp also is relating his dis coveries about sunspots to other stars For example, he is trying to pin down what causes the brightness changes observed in flare stars, which are like the sun but have brightness changes at irregular intervals "If the sun did that it would wipe us out," he says Kemp speculates that the sun may evolve into a flare star "in a billion — but maybe a hundred million years from now." Federal crime, draft legislation scheduled for ACLU discussion Frank Wilkinson, founder of the National Coalition Against Repressive Legislation, will be on campus for two speeches today, sponsored by the Amer ican Civil Liberties Union. The first speech, dealing with the prosecution of draft resis ters, the Solomon Act and other draft-related topics starts at 2:30 p.m. in the EMU Forum Room The Solomon Act would require all eligible male college students to register for the draft before they can receive federal financial aid. Wilkinson’s second speech, focusing on an anti-crime bill and the threat it poses to civil liberties, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Room 125 of the law school. The bill, which would allow suspects to be held without bail, was sponsored by Sen. Strom Thurmond of North Carolina, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. ☆ TUNE-UPS ☆ BRAKES ☆ FUEL INJECTION n.i a s e certified genera! mechanic PHONE 485-8226 1917 FRANKLIN CLOSE TO CAMPUS PHOTO SPECIAL! 4-HOUR PHOTO FINISHING 1 $-199 J/L 20 Exp Develop & Print Films in before 10 am 20 Exp 24 Exp 36 Exp C-41 only 12 Exposure S3.19 53.99 55.99 L Coupon must accompany order 3' j Inch »u« ASA 400 - Add 50c II. I« Ready by 2 pm OREGON PHOTO LAB 1231 Alder ♦ * % r Cooking up something weird for Halloween? Come In And Make Up Your Own Costume St. Vincent De Paul Open nightly until 6 p.m. A V 110 East 11th Street Eugene 501 Main Springfield * emu Cultural Forum Presents "‘*,**".‘;<*V« **♦'*♦♦ *• *v.v„ ****.«' * ■/.. V.v$; ft % >; *. ;*;V • Jl & f/ A * t ~ 4 u 1 * ^ u * ~ A k ~ II * . t « *■ * ® * y * * " 9 * ^ “ s. \ . H + *,. M » * . u * 11 ]L_s I 'Aju—x-—"x l ■ * . • ■ • ”» ‘ *c* c .* . .= ***« 1 - 'I *i, *. «»t» 11 ,* - «*, ,***• *\..i *'«»».* •< ■ ♦ - »-•*< ,*v.n la* • * "* * * ^tta\ V*‘.\ the ^ deuahte »V > * i ♦I’.V.tV.'-Z-V PLAYERS COMPANY^ “YOU CAN BE REPLACED ““"C* ° Hult Soring Theatre Saturday October 30 8*00 P***1, ZZ FICTION THEAIM "jbbssss«" . cmU Main D«*k b“ Page 5
