Twisting solar waves release more energy than 10 billion atomic bombs

Massive solar twisting waves - which explain the mystery of why the Sun’s corona is hotter than its surface - have been discovered by scientists.

The team, from Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Sheffield and California State University Northridge, say the work will help the understanding of the turbulent solar weather and its affect on the Earth.

Professor Mathioudakis, the leader of the Queen’s University Belfast Solar Group, said, “Understanding solar activity and its influence on the Earth’s climate is of paramount importance for human kind. The Sun is not as quiet as many people think. The solar corona, visible from Earth only during a total solar eclipse, is a very dynamic environment which can erupt suddenly, releasing more energy than 10 billion atomic bombs.”

The observations made at the Swedish Solar Telescope in the Canary Islands reveals that magnetic oscillations, known as Alfvén waves, spread upwards with speeds over 20km/s carrying enough energy to heat the plasma to a few million degrees.

Hannes Alfvén first proposed the existence of purely magnetic waves in 1942 and received a Nobel Prize for his work in this area of research. Over half a century later, scientists have finally tracked down the illusive waves. Dr David Jess, lead author of their paper in Science, said: “The heat was on to find evidence for the existence of Alfvén waves. International space agencies have invested considerable resources trying to find purely magnetic oscillations of plasmas in space, particularly in the Sun. These waves, once detected, can be used to determine the physical conditions in the invisible regions of the Sun and other stars, through the technique of magneto-seismology. It was a real thrilling experience to interpret the data found by my colleagues at Queen’s University.”

By Leila Sattary