Does the Sun work as a nuclear fusion amplifier of planetary tidal forcing? A proposal for a physical mechanism based on the mass-luminosity relation

TL;DR

This paper proposes that planetary tidal forces can influence solar activity through a nuclear fusion amplification mechanism, potentially explaining observed solar irradiance oscillations and cycles.

Contribution

It introduces a novel physical mechanism based on the mass-luminosity relation to quantify how planetary tides could amplify and modulate solar nuclear fusion rates.

Findings

Estimated amplification factor of 4,250,000 for tidal influence on solar luminosity.

Calculated potential luminosity oscillations match observed solar irradiance fluctuations.

Planetary tidal forces could significantly impact solar dynamo processes.

Abstract

Empirical evidences show that planetary tides may influence solar activity: 1) the 11-yr Schwabe sunspot number cycle is constrained between the spring tidal period of Jupiter and Saturn, 9.93 yr, and the tidal orbital period of Jupiter, 11.86 yr, and a model based on these cycles reconstructs solar dynamics at multiple time ; 2) a measure of the alignment of Venus, Earth and Jupiter reveals quasi 11.07-yr cycles well correlated to the 11-year Schwabe solar cycles; 3) there exists a 11.08 yr cyclical recurrence in the solar jerk-shock vector, which is induced mostly by Mercury and Venus. However, Newtonian classical physics fails to explain the phenomenon. Only by means of a significant nuclear fusion amplification of the tidal gravitational potential energy released in the Sun, may planetary tides produce irradiance output oscillations with a sufficient magnitude to influence solar dynamo processes. Here we use an adaptation of the well-known mass-luminosity relation to calculate a conversion factor between the solar luminosity and the potential gravitational power associated to the mass lost by nuclear fusion: the average estimated amplification factor is A=4,250,000. We use this magnification factor to evaluate the theoretical luminosity oscillations that planetary tides may potentially stimulate inside the solar core by making its nuclear fusion rate oscillate. By converting the power related to this energy into solar irradiance units at 1 AU we find that the tidal oscillations may be able to theoretically induce an oscillating luminosity increase from 0.05-0.65 $W/m^{2}$ to 0.25-1.63 $W/m^{2}$, which is a range compatible with the ACRIM satellite observed total solar irradiance fluctuations. In conclusion, the Sun, by means of its nuclear active core, may be working as a great amplifier of the small planetary tidal energy dissipated in it.