Researchers discover complex magnetic structures and plasma dynamics on the Sun

An international team of scientists has uncovered new details regarding the magnetic and plasma structures within the Sun's atmosphere. Using the Sunrise-III solar observatory and advanced computer simulations, researchers identified a complex, thread-like magnetic network known as a magnetic canopy above seemingly calm regions of the Sun.

This network extends through the chromosphere, where magnetic fields from the photosphere arch upward. Rather than being a smooth expansion, the canopy consists of intricate, narrow features created by surface movements that twist magnetic field lines.

Additionally, new simulations suggest that solar jets, or spicules, may not be spinning tubes as they appear in two-dimensional images. Instead, they may be folded sheets of plasma. The surrounding swirls of these sheets can create the illusion of rapid rotation. These findings, involving institutions such as the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the University of Sheffield, provide insight into how energy is transported from the Sun's lower atmosphere to the much hotter corona, a process central to understanding the solar wind.