Nonthermal electrons explain solar heating puzzle
Researchers at Tezpur University have uncovered how certain particles in the sun, called nonthermal electrons, change the way solar energy moves around.
Their work helps explain why some layers of the sun get much hotter than others—a puzzle that's stumped scientists for years.
More high-energy nonthermal electrons weaken pressure waves
The team found that when there are more high-energy nonthermal electrons, they weaken the usual pressure waves (p-modes) in solar plasma.
This shift redistributes acoustic energy upward, which may help power spicules, microspicules and atmospheric waves and contribute to heating the Sun's chromosphere and corona.
Researchers built model to back up theory
To back up their theory, researchers built a model showing how energy fades due to atmospheric and magnetic effects—and it matched real data from NASA and Japan's space telescopes.
This brings us a step closer to understanding how our star works and could even help with future tech that relies on solar science.