Chinese scientists simulate solar flares to explain coronal heating

Researchers in China have successfully simulated solar flares in a laboratory setting, potentially solving the long-standing mystery of why the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, is significantly hotter than its surface. While the Sun’s visible surface is approximately 5,500 degrees Celsius, the corona can exceed one million degrees Celsius.

Using the Shenguang-II laser facility in Shanghai, the team directed four high-power laser beams at a corrugated plastic target. The intense, billionth-of-a-second pulses transformed the material into plasma. This process created plasma structures that brought opposing magnetic fields together, allowing magnetic energy to be released as heat through a process known as magnetic reconnection.

The experiment demonstrated that these small, turbulent plasma collisions can collectively maintain extreme temperatures. Tests showed that the textured target reached temperatures of 820,000 degrees Celsius, whereas a smooth target produced only half that value, highlighting the importance of the plasma structures in generating heat.