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Scientists have found the exact source of the dangerous rays that are fired from the Sun and threaten activities on Earth.
High-energy particles are thrown out of the Sun during solar storms that occur in its outer atmosphere.
They can be extremely important and dangerous to life on Earth: not only can they potentially harm airline passengers and satellites, but scientists fear they will one day be struck by a major disruptive storm that could cause longer lasting and longer damage. important.
In 1859, a large solar storm called the Carrington Event caused widespread problems with telegraph systems across Europe and the United States.
Given our dependence on electricity today, a repeated storm of this magnitude could be far more devastating.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) and George Mason University in the United States believe they have located where these particles come from in the sun, in an effort to better predict when they might strike again.
Their results, published in the journal Science Advances, indicate that the particles have the same “fingerprint” as the plasma located at the bottom of the solar corona, near the mid-region of the Sun’s atmosphere.
“In our study, we observed for the first time exactly where solar energy particles on the sun originate,” said co-author Dr Stephanie Yardley, UCL.
“Our evidence supports theories that these highly charged particles originate from plasma that has been kept low in the Sun’s atmosphere by strong magnetic fields.
“These energetic particles, once released, are then accelerated by eruptions that travel at a speed of a few thousand kilometers per second.
“The energetic particles can arrive on Earth very quickly, in a few minutes to a few hours, these events lasting several days.
“Currently, we can only provide predictions of these events as they occur because it is very difficult to predict these events before they occur.
“By better understanding the sun’s processes, we can improve forecasting so that when a major solar storm hits, we have time to act to reduce risk.”
Researchers made the discovery using measurements from NASA’s Wind satellite, located between the sun and Earth.
They examined a number of solar energy particle streams, each lasting at least one day, in January 2014.
Lead author Dr David Brooks of George Mason University added: “Our observations provide tantalizing insight into the provenance of the material that produces particles of solar energy in a few events of the last solar cycle.
“We are now starting a new solar cycle, and once it starts we will use the same techniques to see if our results are generally true or if these events are somehow unusual.
“We are fortunate in that our understanding of the mechanisms behind solar storms and solar energy particles is likely to advance rapidly over the next several years thanks to the data that will be obtained from two spacecraft – the Solar Orbiter of the ‘ESA and the NASA Parker solar probe – which are heading closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before. “
Additional reports from the Press Association
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