A Possible Journey Of A Stellar Magnetic Field (2022)
for flute, violin and Bb clarinet/ bass clarinet (c. 7 min)
This piece manifests an imagined journey of a magnetic field that travels through a star which started with the collaboration project with the astronomist Clara Brasseur, a researcher from St Andrews university, who studies about stellar magnetic fields. Recently, her research was heading towards this particular star called ‘AB Dor A’, and the focus was on the ‘solar prominence’. In this piece, I looked for general traits of star structure in relation to the magnetic fields in order to provide experience to the listeners that could be potentially useful and accessible.
As a result, I focused on what a magnetic field would experience or go through during their one cyclic journey rather than the magnetic field itself. By the exciting reading about basic astronomy and the interesting conversation with Clara, I got to learn that the journey of a magnetic field would go through several layers of star structure.
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The inner core, which is a centre of inner layers, is the place where the journey of magnetic field would start - the place where enormous gravity presses particles and the friction with the extreme heat causes hydrogen fusion. Then, the magnetic field would travel outward towards the atmosphere - during this process temperature of the surroundings goes down, density decreases. The surface of the inner layers/start of the outer layer (atmosphere) is ‘photosphere’ where convection movements pushes particles to the surface and when they get cooler, they sink down again into the inner layer. After magnetic field passes photosphere (and chromosphere), the temperature of air drastically goes up until it reaches the ‘corona’ - the hottest part of outer layer where the exuberant stellar flares explodes massive energy. After the magnetic field reaches the corona, it starts the journey back to the inner core again.
In the process of composing, I derived ideas for the each section based on the research of each star layer’s composition and the principle of activities and tried musical materials manifest those physical activities. By experiencing the music, I hope listeners can join the journey of a magnetic field and feel the existence of starts, their energetic strive in order to sustain life (constant fusing) and the numerous, constant cycles of magnetic fields which is happening right now above our heads.
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