- The Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope captured the Sun's surface in unprecedented detail
- Researchers observed tiny swirling patterns linked to the Sun's magnetic fields and energy
- The swirls identified are Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities affecting solar activity processes
The Sun's visible surface has been captured in unprecedented detail, giving scientists a closer look at a process that could help explain how solar activity develops. The observations have revealed tiny swirling patterns linked to the Sun's magnetic fields and energy, reported CNN
Scientists used the National Science Foundation's Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope, located near the summit of Haleakala on the Hawaiian island of Maui, to observe a magnetically active area near a sunspot. Sunspots are considered hotspots of solar activity.
The images and time-lapse video provide an unprecedented view of the Sun's complex and changing photosphere. The photosphere is the visible surface of the Sun and exists as a thin layer of atmosphere shaped by magnetic fields and moving fluid plasma.
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By combining the detailed observations with computer simulations, researchers identified the signature of small whirlpools on the Sun's surface. These swirls could directly affect processes connected to solar activity.
The swirling patterns are known as Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The researchers said the phenomenon could help explain some long-standing mysteries about the Sun.
The swirls could also contribute to the buildup of the Sun's magnetic energy. This energy drives solar flares and coronal mass ejections. When directed toward Earth, such solar activity can send out particles that disrupt satellites, power grids and other communications infrastructure. The findings were published in the journal Nature.
What Is Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability?
Kelvin-Helmholtz instability occurs when two fluids moving at different speeds pass one another. This creates small disturbances that develop into spiraling vortices, according to the study.
Scientists have observed this type of instability in lake and ocean waves, cloud formation, and the atmospheres of large gaseous planets such as Jupiter and Saturn.
The images from the Inouye telescope mark the first time Kelvin-Helmholtz instability has been seen on the Sun.
Scientists have long believed that the Sun stores magnetic energy through a process called "flux braiding", in which magnetic field lines twist together. The tension eventually becomes unstable, causing the tangled magnetic fields to snap apart and reconnect, releasing a burst of energy.
However, researchers had not fully understood why these twisting patterns occur. The new observations offer a possible explanation.
The researchers found that swirls along the edges of magnetic regions across the solar surface could twist the magnetic fields together.
