{"id":786666,"date":"2024-07-31T21:19:53","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T02:19:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=786666"},"modified":"2024-07-31T21:19:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T02:19:53","slug":"why-is-the-suns-corona-so-hot-one-hypothesis-down-many-to-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=786666","title":{"rendered":"Why is the Sun&#8217;s Corona So Hot? One Hypothesis Down, Many to Go"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The temperature of the Sun\u2019s corona is a minimum of 100 times hotter than the Sun\u2019s surface, despite the corona being far less dense and extending millions of miles from the Sun\u2019s surface, as well. But why is this? Now, a recent study published in <em>The Astrophysical Journal<\/em> could eliminate a longstanding hypothesis regarding the processes responsible for the corona\u2019s extreme heat, which could help them better understand the Sun\u2019s internal processes. This study holds the potential to help scientists gain greater insight into the formation and evolution of our Sun, which could lead to better understanding stars throughout the universe, as well.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-167997\"\/><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why Is the Sun&#039;s Corona So Hot?\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0gfRe1UrgAI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the first 14 laps conducted by NASA\u2019s Parker Solar Probe around the Sun with the goal of ascertaining how the magnetic field causes S-shaped bends, often called magnetic switchbacks due to their behavior in causing sudden reversals in the magnetic field\u2019s direction. The goal of the study was to determine the source of the switchbacks, which are known to store energy from the magnetic field, to better understand how they could potentially heat the corona and solar wind.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat energy has to go somewhere, and it could be contributing to heating the corona and accelerating the solar wind,\u201d said Dr. Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, who is an assistant research scientist of climate and space sciences and engineering at the University of Michigan and lead author of the study.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"See Wild Solar \u2018Switchbacks\u2019 Captured by NASA\u2019s Parker Solar Probe\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n_pfFM8tM8k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The debate regarding the origin of the switchbacks has been disputed for some time within the scientific community, with scientists currently favoring two potential hypotheses: switchbacks originate from the magnetic field bending due to the solar wind\u2019s extreme activity that occurs past the corona, and the other origin being from the surface of the Sun.<\/p>\n<p>The results of the study show switchbacks do not originate from the surface of the Sun, which the researchers attribute to the lack of the number of switchbacks inside the corona. In contrast, if the Sun\u2019s surface was the origin of the switchbacks, it is hypothesized the switchback numbers inside the corona would be far greater. Therefore, the study\u2019s results eliminate one of the two competing hypotheses regarding the origin of switchbacks in the Sun.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Parker Solar Probe Switchbacks Flythrough\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0FMgclVCshA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cOur theory could fill the gap between the two schools of thought on S-shaped switchback generation mechanisms,\u201d said Dr. Akhavan-Tafti. \u201cWhile they must be formed outside the corona, there could be a trigger mechanism inside the corona that causes switchbacks to form in the solar wind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He follows this with, \u201cThe mechanisms that cause the formation of switchbacks, and the switchbacks themselves, could heat both the corona and the solar wind.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Parker Solar Probe Switchback Magnetic Fields\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/plabpsKpydE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The study of the Sun\u2019s magnetic field reversal dates to the 1970s when the two German-US Helios spacecraft, dubbed Helios-1 and Helios-2, observed this reversal behavior when Helios-2 traveled just over 43.432 million kilometers (26.99 million miles) from the Sun with Helios-1 being 3 million kilometers (1.9 million miles) behind it. This distance record was broken by the Parker Solar Probe in October 2018 and has since achieved a jaw-dropping distance of 7.26 million kilometers (4.51 million miles) from the Sun, which was accomplished in September 2023.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Spacecraft Touched The Sun! Why Didn&#039;t It Melt?\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q1A6JRy9sWY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The Helios missions were followed by the first observations of switchbacks conducted by the NASA\/ESA Ulysses probe that studied the Sun\u2019s southern and northern polar regions in 1994 and 1995, respectively. More recently, remnants of switchbacks were observed by the ESA\/NASA Solar Orbiter in September 2020 when the spacecraft was just over 146 million kilometers (91 million miles) from the Sun.<\/p>\n<p>As noted, discovering the origin of switchbacks could help scientists better understand the internal processes of the Sun, and specifically the behavior of the solar wind, which contributes to space weather that can cause massive damage to orbiting satellites and electronic ground stations on Earth.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Historical Impact of Solar Flares\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vlDuMaAgUVs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>What new discoveries will scientists make about the origins of switchbacks on the Sun in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!<\/p>\n<p><em>As always, keep doing science &amp; keep looking up!<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-block sd-like jetpack-likes-widget-wrapper jetpack-likes-widget-unloaded\" id=\"like-post-wrapper-24000880-167997-66aaefafb5237\" data-src=\"https:\/\/widgets.wp.com\/likes\/?ver=13.2#blog_id=24000880&amp;post_id=167997&amp;origin=www.universetoday.com&amp;obj_id=24000880-167997-66aaefafb5237&amp;n=1\" data-name=\"like-post-frame-24000880-167997-66aaefafb5237\" data-title=\"Like or Reblog\">\n<h3 class=\"sd-title\">Like this:<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"button\"><span>Like<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"loading\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"sd-text-color\"\/><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/167997\/why-is-the-suns-corona-so-hot-one-hypothesis-down-many-to-go\/?rand=772204\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The temperature of the Sun\u2019s corona is a minimum of 100 times hotter than the Sun\u2019s surface, despite the corona being far less dense and extending millions of miles from&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":786667,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-786666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genaero"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=786666"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786666\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/786667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=786666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=786666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=786666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}