Researchers Track Complex Turbulence in the Sun's Corona, Revealing the Mechanics of Solar Wind
The Daily Galaxy • • science
Key Points:
- Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi have used rare total solar eclipses to observe turbulent structures in the sun’s corona, revealing how these features contribute to the formation of the solar wind.
- Led by Shadia Habbal, the team identified for the first time that turbulent structures within the corona can survive far from the solar surface, providing new insights into solar wind evolution.
- Total solar eclipses enable detailed observation of the corona’s intricate magnetic field-driven structures, which are normally obscured by the sun’s bright surface.
- The study found that prominences, cooler and denser structures on the sun, trigger turbulence through sharp temperature and density contrasts with surrounding plasma.
- The research tracked these turbulent features flowing outward with the
