On the global electrostatic charge of stars

Queen Mary and Westfield College, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK

Received: 19 January 2001
Accepted: 6 April 2001

Abstract

As was discovered in the nineteen-twenties, a significant electric field exists in the solar corona as well as in the solar interior. This field is a consequence of the tendency of light electrons to segregate from heavier protons in the solar gravitational field. Since the principle is valid for a plasma in every star, the result can be generalized. The presented paper is intended to rehighlight this significant physical property of stars. In particular, we stress that there has to be charge Q_r inside a stellar sphere with radius r, which is linearly proportional to mass M_r inside the sphere. Both quantities are related as , if Q_r is given in Coulombs and M_r in solar masses. The global stellar electrostatic field is 918 times stronger than the corresponding stellar gravity and compensates for a half of the gravity, when it acts on an electron or proton, respectively. The external electric field has to cause an occurence of electric current and appropriate magnetic field in a highly conductive plasma, when, e.g., the plasma is in a turbulent motion or spirals onto a star in a hot accretion disc.