Magnetic waves make the Sun’s corona chemically different from other layers of the star



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The Sun’s corona – the outermost layer that can reach temperatures over a million degrees Celsius – is chemically very different from the rest of the star despite being physically connected.

Astronomers have been unable to explain and prove this phenomenon for more than half a century, making it one of the lingering puzzles in astronomy.

Now, researchers have found the first observational evidence showing magnetic waves in the chromosphere – the sun’s middle layer – dividing the plasma, forcing only charged ions into the corona and leaving neutral particles behind.

An article published today by astronomers at University College London and the Italian Space Agency provides the very first evidence to support this long-held theory.

Researchers have found the first observational evidence showing magnetic waves in the chromosphere - the Sun's middle layer - dividing the plasma, forcing only charged ions into the corona and leaving neutral particles.

Researchers have found the first observational evidence showing magnetic waves in the chromosphere – the Sun’s middle layer – dividing the plasma, forcing only charged ions into the corona and leaving neutral particles.

The researchers analyzed data from telescopes in New Mexico as well as in space to simultaneously observe the same part of the Sun in an attempt to find the waves.

The observed patterns were recreated using computer modeling, and the scientists found that the waves reflected in the chromosphere were magnetically linked to areas of ionized particles abundant in the corona.

“These results indicate a link between the chromospheric activity of sunspots and observable changes in the composition of coronary plasma,” write the researchers in their study, published today in The Astrophysical Journal.

The theory of magnetic waves dividing the plasma and forcing the ions to the corona was first postulated in the 1960s.

The cause of the waves remains unknown, but scientists believe they are generated in the volatile corona by millions of mini explosions, called nanoflares.

Dr Deborah Baker, lead author of the study, told MailOnline: “ The different chemical compositions of the inner and outer layers of the Sun were first noted more than 50 years ago.

“This discovery generated what is one of the longest open questions in astrophysics.

“The difference in composition is surprising, given that the layers are physically linked and the material in the crown comes from the innermost layer, the photosphere.

“ Now, thanks to a unique combination of terrestrial and space observations of the solar atmosphere, carried out almost simultaneously, it has been possible to definitively detect the magnetic waves in the chromosphere and relate them to an abundance of elements in the corona that are not found in the interior regions of the Sun.

Dr Marco Stangalini of the Italian Space Agency in Rome says the results are valid for other stars as well as for the Sun.

“By observing our local laboratory, the Sun, we can improve our understanding of the Universe far beyond,” he says.

The theory of magnetic waves dividing the plasma and forcing the ions to the corona was first postulated in the 1960s. The cause of the waves remains unknown, but scientists believe they are generated in the volatile corona by millions. mini explosions, called nanoflares.  In the photo, the surface of the sun

The theory of magnetic waves dividing the plasma and forcing the ions into the corona was first postulated in the 1960s. The cause of the waves remains unknown, but scientists believe they are generated in the volatile corona by millions. mini explosions, called nanoflares. In the photo, the surface of the sun

Astronomers are more interested than ever in the solar corona because of its role in creating the solar wind.

It is the solar wind, which carries ions 92 million kilometers from the Sun to the Earth, which creates the lights of the North and the South.

When these charged particles reach Earth’s magnetic field, which is strongest at the poles, they release energy and this is manifested in the fascinating celestial light show we see on Earth, visible at high and low latitudes. .

However, when the constant stream of charged particles turns into a deluge as a result of a violent belching of the Sun’s surface, it can impact delicate power systems and satellite-dependent industries.

“Identifying the processes that shape the corona is crucial as we try to better understand the solar wind, a flow of charged particles flowing from the Sun outwards, which can disrupt and damage satellites and infrastructure on Earth,” says Dr Baker.

“Our new findings will help us analyze the solar wind and trace it to where it came from in the Sun’s atmosphere.

‘Campfires’ on the sun: Solar Orbiter captures the ‘closest images of all time’ of the sun 47 million kilometers away

British-built European space agency Solar Orbiter captured the closest images ever taken of the Sun and it did so while flying between the orbits of Venus and Mercury, according to the British Space Agency.

The stunning images taken by the Solar Orbiter 47 million kilometers from the surface of our host star include signs of mini solar flares which have been dubbed “ campfires ” by the scientists behind the probe.

Solar flares are brief flares of high-energy radiation from the Sun’s surface and these “campfires” are millions of times smaller than the star’s normal flares.

The images were captured in mid-June while the Solar Orbiter was still in testing, so the team said the images would become higher resolution as the probe nears the Sun.

On its closest approach to our star, the Solar Orbiter will be 26 million miles from the surface of the Sun – which is closer than the 37 million miles Mercury is to the Sun and it will get there by the end. next year.

The most significant discovery was the presence of these ‘campfires’, also known as ‘nano-flares’, which were seen dotted across the surface of the Sun, the astronomers explained – they are bright and dynamic eruptions.

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