Solar telescope images reveal tiny plasma vortices on the Sun’s surface
Researchers using the 4‑meter Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii captured the highest‑resolution visible‑light images of the Sun’s photosphere to date. The images show tiny, petal‑shaped plasma vortices along granule boundaries, with sizes down to about 20 km, consistent with Kelvin‑Helmholtz instability. The observation team, including scientists from the National Solar Observatory, the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, and the High Altitude Observatory, recorded the features during a three‑minute window on April 14 2025.
Numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations produced synthetic filtergrams that matched the observed vortex morphology and wavelengths. Researchers note the vortices could supply energy that triggers nanoflares and may accelerate upward transport of magnetic flux, though the link remains a possibility. The findings are presented in a study published in Nature.
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Why it matters
The new view of the Sun’s fine‑scale dynamics offers insight into the processes that release solar energy.
How this story developed
- Aug 5 Tiny plasma swirls on the Sun may spark powerful solar eruptions
- Aug 6 Images taken during a calibration exercise were published in Nature, revealing the fine‑scale plasma ripples.
- Aug 8 Scientists identified plasma vortices as small as 20 km and highlighted their potential role in triggering nanoflares.