Re: magnetic lines like this?

[LUDWIK KOWALSKI <KOWALSKIL@alpha.montclair.edu>]

The message posted yesterday (see below) was referring to Figure 12.19,
on page 259, of Zeilik's "Astronomy, the Evolving Universe", 8th edition,
1997. The caption is --> "Top view of a possible primeaval solar magnetic
field. One end of the field lines rotates with the sun; the other end is
dragged by the ionized material (plasma) in the disk." Is this a "common
misconception" or just a blunder of one particular author? I saw similar
lines in another text. Perhaps these lines represent something different
than what they call magnetic field lines.
                                              Ludwik Kowalski

> ...  An astronomy textbook shows a diagram of magnetic field lines 
> EMERGING from our SUN and spirling out to infinity. I interpret this 
> as a statement that our solar system is a magnetic monopole. The author 
> does not say this but how else can the diagram be interpreted? Am I 
> reading it wrongly or are we facing another textbook misconception? 
> Those who teach astronomy will know, I hope.