Aditya-L1 Study Finds Magnetic Fields Supply 93% of Sun Corona Heat
Updated
Updated · Moneycontrol · Aug 15
Aditya-L1 Study Finds Magnetic Fields Supply 93% of Sun Corona Heat
3 articles · Updated · Moneycontrol · Aug 15
Summary
Indian Institute of Astrophysics researchers used Aditya-L1 observations to show magnetic activity provides about 93% of the energy that keeps the Sun’s corona at millions of degrees.
A 5 August 2024 coronal mass ejection tracked by Aditya-L1’s Velc instrument showed tangled magnetic field lines reconnecting and restoring much of the lost energy within roughly 10 hours.
Surface-driven waves still contribute, but the study estimates they supply only about 7% of the corona’s heating requirement—too little to explain why the outer atmosphere is far hotter than the 5,500C solar surface.
The findings, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, give scientists a benchmark for studying coronal heating and could improve understanding of space weather that can disrupt satellites, communications and power systems.