We caught an ocean of plasma waves “breaking” on the Sun
The Sun is so much more than a shining ball of energetic plasma. This incredible still image from the National Science Foundation’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) is the highest-resolution image of the Sun’s surface (i.e., photosphere) ever acquired. The image is taken at a wavelength of 416 nanometers, and showcases several features known to arise in fluid flow, such as the…
Scientists have captured an unprecedented look at the Sun's turbulent surface, revealing the occurrence of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, akin to ripples in ocean waves. The National Science Foundation's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) unveiled the highest-resolution image of the Sun's photosphere, showcasing the dynamic plasma flows and their interaction.
The phenomenon, which arises when fluids of different speeds merge or have varying velocities, is reminiscent of the swirling vortexes in Van Gogh's "The Starry Night." Such instabilities have been observed in Jupiter's atmosphere as well, where the differing speeds of atmospheric layers give rise to complex, turbulent patterns.
These same instabilities have also been detected within solar outflows, suggesting they may explain the Sun's outer corona's unusually high temperatures.
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