Source of hazardous high-energy particles located in the Sun:
The source of potentially hazardous solar particles, released from the Sun at high speed during storms in its outer atmosphere, has been located for the first time by researchers at UCL and George Mason University, Virginia, U.S.
These particles are highly charged and, if they reach Earth's atmosphere, can potentially disrupt satellites and electronic infrastructure, as well as pose a radiation risk to astronauts and people in airplanes. In 1859, during what's known as the Carrington Event, a large solar storm caused telegraphic systems across Europe and America to fail. With the modern world so reliant on electronic infrastructure, the potential for harm is much greater.
To minimize the danger, scientists are seeking to understand how these streams of particles are produced so they can better predict when they might affect Earth.
Improved space weather forecasting?
In the study, researchers used measurements from NASA's Wind satellite, located between the Sun and Earth, to analyse a series of solar energetic particle streams, each lasting at least a day, in January 2014. They compared this to spectroscopy data from the JAXA-led Hinode spacecraft. (The EUV Imaging Spectrometer onboard the spacecraft was built by UCL MSSL and Dr. Brooks is a member of the mission's Operations Team in Japan.)
They found that the solar energetic particles measured by the Wind satellite had the same chemical signature—an abundance of silicon compared to sulphur—as plasma confined close to the top of the Sun's chromosphere. These locations were at the "footpoints" of hot coronal loops—that is, at the bottom of loops of magnetic field and plasma extending out into the Sun's outer atmosphere and back again.
Using a new technique, the team measured the coronal magnetic field strength at these footpoints, and found it was very high, in the region of 245 to 550 Gauss, confirming the theory that the plasma is held down in the Sun's atmosphere by strong magnetic fields ahead of its release into space.
Journal Reference:
David H. Brooks, Stephanie L. Yardley. The source of the major solar energetic particle events from super active region 11944 [open], Science Advances (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf0068)
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 05 2021, @09:26AM (3 children)
> Using a new technique, the team measured the coronal magnetic field strength at these footpoints, and found it was very high, in the region of 245 to 550 Gauss, confirming the theory that the plasma is held down in the Sun's atmosphere by strong magnetic fields ahead of its release into space.
This sounds like some electric universe pseudoscience.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 05 2021, @11:43AM
> This sounds like some electric universe pseudoscience.
Maybe they're on to something.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 05 2021, @11:45AM
Two brewers are talking about the fine points of different yeast's yield, most importantly taste and alcohol content, as controlled by impurities in the brewing vessels' exact metallic makeup. (yes, that actually is a thing, look it up)
A guy raised in a non-drinking family overhears their talk and goes "Whoa! They are using the same words as the drunkard I saw in the street! They must be two sorry, addicted existences, these two! I will not believe a word they say about brewing!"
Rhethoric question: who is the fool?
Maybe this Solar Astronomy just sounds a lot like Electric Universe because you have heard too much of the latter, and not enough of the former?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 05 2021, @12:05PM
> This sounds like some electric universe pseudoscience.
No, it's a properly designed experiment... they used crystals to ensure the coronal magnetic field's chakra was properly aligned before taking measurements.
(Score: 2) by inertnet on Friday March 05 2021, @12:13PM (4 children)
Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 05 2021, @02:23PM (3 children)
The sun would feel that as much as throwing your dick down Kim Kardashian's crotchal canyon.
(Score: 2) by inertnet on Friday March 05 2021, @04:01PM
That's why it's funny this time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 05 2021, @06:18PM (1 child)
> ...throwing your dick
Um, *yours* may be detachable, but I think that may be a rare condition...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 05 2021, @08:14PM
They are all detachable as Lorena Bobbitt proved. Reattachment may still be an issue.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 06 2021, @05:17AM
Volt is the unit for electric potential. What is the unit for harm potential?