Solar interior · ~0.25–0.7 R☉
The Radiative Zone
The layer surrounding the core, from about a quarter to seven-tenths of the solar radius, where energy travels outward as radiation. Photons are absorbed and re-emitted so many times that a single packet of energy can take on the order of a hundred thousand years to cross it. The plasma here rotates almost as a rigid body.
Highlights
- ›Energy diffuses outward as radiation over ~10⁵ years
The Sun, its layers & phenomena
Across solar physics
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Solar Core
- Associated withThe Sun
- Associated withThe Solar Core
- Associated withThe Tachocline
- Associated withThe Tachocline
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.