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The Core
The core of the sun is extremely hot and dense. Its temperature is 15 million K and it has a density of 150 g/cu. cm, 15 times the density of lead. The core remains plasma despite its density because of its high temperature and pressure. The core contains 50 percent of the sun's mass and 2percent of the sun's volume. It primarily contains the elements hydrogen and helium.
Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion takes place in the core of the sun. The fusion reaction is called a proton-proton chain. In this reaction, a series of hydrogen atoms fuse together due to the high temperature and pressure of the core. The reaction produces a helium atom and releases gamma rays, neutrinos and protons as by-products. Eventually, helium will begin to fuse together to create heavier elements in the sun's core. The amount of energy released during fusion is determined by the equation E=mc2, where E is the amount of energy, m is the mass, and c is the speed of light squared.
Radiative Zone
Surrounding the core of the sun is a huge shell known as the radiative zone. The radiative zone extends 70 percent of the way to the photosphere of the sun. Thirty-two percent of the volume and 48 percent of the mass exist in the radiative zone. Energy is transferred from the core of the sun through the radiative zone by radiation. One photon may take over 1 million years to pass through the radiative zone because of scattering. The temperature range of the radiative zone is 8 million K closest to the core to 2 million K at the top of the zone.
Convection Zone
The convection zone is the outermost layer of the sun's interior. Energy is transferred through this zone by convection. Areas of hot plasma rise, cool and sink to form a convection cell. The convection zone makes up 66 percent of the sun's volume and 2 percent of the sun's mass. The density near the top of the convection zone is near zero. The temperature at the top of the convection zone is about 5,800 K.
Magnetic Field
The magnetic field of the sun is caused by movement in the convection cells. The photons that travel through the radiative and convection zones are electrically charged. The positively and negatively charged ions move past each other in the sun's interior to cause a magnetic field. The magnetic field that forms in the interior causes the sunspots. Magnetic field lines connect one sunspot to another, producing giant loops of gas.