NASA's Parker Solar Probe Finds Explosive Surprises on Sun
5 hours ago
- #Solar Physics
- #NASA Missions
- #Space Exploration
- Parker Solar Probe observed new details about magnetic reconnection, a process that accelerates particles during solar storms.
- During a 2022 flyby, the probe measured particles between the Sun and a reconnection event in the solar wind, offering direct data.
- Protons and heavy ions were accelerated differently than expected: protons formed a dispersed beam, while ions were focused like a laser.
- These findings, published in the Astrophysical Journal, will help refine models to better understand solar storm mechanisms.