Astronomers find high-frequency magnetic waves may play essential role in coronal heating

A joint scientific group led by the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) and the KU Leuven has discovered that high-frequency magnetic waves might play a necessary position in preserving the sun’s ambiance at hundreds of thousands of levels. This discovering sheds a brand new mild on probably the most intriguing solar thriller: what makes the sun’s ambiance hotter than its floor?

One of many long-standing astrophysical puzzles is strictly this coronal heating downside. From a younger age, we’re taught that temperature decreases as you progress away from a warmth supply, however this isn’t true for the sun. The sun’s solely heat source resides in its core. But the corona, the outermost layer of the solar ambiance, is about 200 occasions hotter than the photosphere, the sun’s floor.

Prof. Tom Van Doorsselaere at KU Leuven says, “Over the previous 80 years, astrophysicists have tried to unravel this downside and now an increasing number of proof is rising that the corona may be heated by magnetic waves.”

This new perception has been developed from observations by the Excessive Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) telescope onboard Photo voltaic Orbiter, a spacecraft of the European Area Company ESA, that’s presently observing the sun from behind.

The EUI telescope, operated by ROB, produces photos of the solar corona with unprecedented decision. Its observations reveal quick oscillations within the smallest magnetic constructions of the solar corona, and the vitality of those high-frequency waves contributes to the heating of the solar ambiance. The findings are revealed in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The primary query the scientists have been asking was whether or not the vitality originating from these new, quick oscillations outweighed the vitality coming from related, however slower oscillations that have been already recognized.

The scientific group carried out a meta-analysis, which is a statistical method of utilizing a number of scientific research to derive widespread unknown truths. Dr. Daye Lim, lead creator, concluded that high-frequency waves give a extra vital contribution to the total heating generated by waves than low-frequency waves.

Dr. David Berghmans, the principal investigator of EUI, says, “Since her outcomes indicated a key position for quick oscillations in coronal heating, we are going to commit a lot of our consideration to the problem of discovering higher-frequency magnetic waves with EUI.”