Tiny plasma swirls on the Sun may spark powerful solar eruptions
High-resolution images from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope have captured minute whirlpools of magnetized plasma on the Sun, providing the first direct view of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at the solar surface.
Images taken by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope on Maui have uncovered high-energy plasma whirlpools across a small region of the Sun’s surface, marking the first direct detection of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability there. The study, reported in Nature, shows that these tiny swirls, only about 20 kilometers in size, can twist magnetic fields and generate energy capable of triggering solar flares. The telescope’s 4-meter aperture and advanced adaptive optics corrected atmospheric distortion, allowing unprecedented resolution.
David Kuridze of the National Solar Observatory explained that such instabilities occur at the borders of magnetic elements and are key to energy transfer on the Sun. Leon Ofman, not involved in the work, emphasized the importance of the adaptive system for capturing these fine structures. Understanding this process could improve forecasts of solar activity that affect Earth’s space environment.
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Why it matters
Knowing how tiny solar surface motions spark flares helps improve space-weather predictions that protect satellites and power grids.
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