Mystery of Solar Heating: Magnetic Fields on the Sun Hold the Key

Magnetic fields on the sun could potentially solve the long-standing mystery of solar heating, according to new research. Scientists have been perplexed by the fact that the sun's outer atmosphere, known as the corona, is much hotter than its visible surface, or photosphere. A recent study suggests that small-scale waves in the sun's plasma called "kinetic Alfvén waves" (KAWs) could be responsible for heating the corona, Space reported.

Researchers led by Syed Ayaz from the University of Alabama in Huntsville propose that as KAWs propagate, they transfer their energy to plasma particles, thus heating the corona. This mechanism could explain why the corona reaches temperatures of over 2 million degrees Fahrenheit while the photosphere is around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The phenomenon of Alfvén waves has previously been recognized as a potential energy transfer mechanism, making them the best candidates for heat transportation. However, their specific occurrence near the sun remains unknown, as no solar spacecraft mission has yet provided predictions regarding these phenomena in close proximity to the sun.

This new study sheds light on the critical problem of how magnetic field energy gets transformed into heat in a plasma consisting of charged particles. The research team's findings are supported by data obtained from the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter and NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. These observations confirm that magnetic waves of various frequencies can contribute to heating the sun's corona over time.

Despite these revelations, the mystery surrounding the sun's corona and its intense heating persists. Other heating mechanisms associated with the sun's magnetic field, such as certain bends in the field releasing magnetic energy into the plasma, have been ruled out by recent analysis. The Parker Solar Probe's future missions may provide additional insights into this enigma.

Overall, understanding the processes driving the sun's corona heating is crucial for unraveling the mysteries of our star. The team's study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, marks a significant step forward in comprehending the mechanisms behind solar heating and the behavior of the sun's atmosphere.

Earlier, SSP reported that NASA's Juno mission captured the colorful and chaotic clouds of Jupiter.