Some researchers in space science claim to have found a new source of energetic particles close to the Sun. These findings were made by instruments on board NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which observed the phenomena as the spacecraft crossed in and out of the solar corona.
Experts indicate that solar energetic particles are high-energy charged particles, mainly composed of protons and electrons, that the Sun releases.
A report from Science Daily states that the research was conducted by the Southwest Research Institute, located in San Antonio, Texas.
Data collection occurred through NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which captured these powerful phenomena as it moved in and out of the solar corona.
Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe is part of NASA’s solar observation initiatives.
The solar corona represents the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere, typically concealed by the bright light from the Sun’s surface.
According to Science Daily, the study was spearheaded by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas.
The report noted that the new results provide fresh insights into how magnetic reconnection may heat the solar atmosphere and subsequently transition into the solar wind.
It also points to how solar flares propel a small fraction of charged particles to speeds approaching that of light.
“Through the SwRI-led Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, scientists achieved the first direct identification of the source of magnetic reconnection near Earth.
“They observed how this explosive physical process transforms stored magnetic energy into kinetic energy and heat,” explained Dr. Mihir Desai from SwRI, the lead author of the study.
He mentioned that Parker has made direct observations of magnetic reconnection at the heliospheric current sheet (HCS).
The HCS is the region where the interplanetary magnetic field shifts its polarity, energizing charged particles to extremely high levels.
“These discoveries suggest that magnetic reconnection within the HCS is a major contributor to energetic particles in the solar wind close to the Sun.
“Wherever there are magnetic fields, magnetic reconnection will occur. However, the Sun’s magnetic fields are significantly stronger near its surface, resulting in a greater release of stored energy,” Desai noted.
Experts explain that magnetic reconnection happens when magnetic field lines come together, separate, and then reconnect in an explosive manner, energizing particles and creating high-velocity flows.
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Central to space weather, reconnection is responsible for significant solar events, including solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), which are explosive releases of plasma from the Sun.
The Parker Solar Probe was designed as part of NASA’s Living With a Star program to study aspects of the Sun-Earth system that have direct implications for life and society.
Managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, the Living With a Star program focuses on these research areas.
The spacecraft was developed, constructed, and operates under the management of the Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory for NASA.
