Scientists Unveil the Secrets of the Sun's 'Point of No Return'
December 16, 2025257 AufrufeLesezeit: 2 Minuten
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Researchers have successfully created the first accurate maps of the outer boundary of the Sun's atmosphere, known scientifically as the Alfven surface. This boundary marks the point of no return, where solar material transitions from being magnetically bound to the Sun into a free flow that generates solar winds.
A Dynamic Map of the Sun
The team combined direct measurements from NASA's Parker Solar Probe with data from other spacecraft, revealing that this boundary is not static but rather a dynamic entity that fluctuates with the Sun's activity. Sam Badman, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center and the lead author of the study, stated, "For the first time, we have an accurate map that can serve as a navigational tool in this critical area, allowing us to observe real-time changes and compare them with direct measurements, thus deepening our understanding of solar processes."
Variability with Solar Activity
As the Sun approaches its peak in an 11-year cycle, these boundaries expand, becoming rougher and more irregular, while they smooth out during quieter solar periods. This finding enables scientists to enhance prediction models for solar storms that can disrupt Earth's power grids and threaten the safety of astronauts and satellites.
Insights into Other Stars
The research also suggests that these findings could be applied to understand the atmospheric behavior of other stars in our galaxy. Through repeated flights of the Parker Probe through the outer solar atmosphere, aided by the specialized SWEAP instrument, scientists obtained direct samples from the region below the Alfven surface, accurately determining where and when solar winds break free from the Sun's magnetic grip.
The Next Steps in Solar Research
The research teams plan to return the Parker Probe during the next quiet solar period, allowing them to monitor changes in the solar surface over an entire solar cycle. Scientists hope this study will help solve one of the most complex puzzles in solar physics:
> Why does the Sun's corona become hotter as we move further from its surface?
A Dynamic Map of the Sun
The team combined direct measurements from NASA's Parker Solar Probe with data from other spacecraft, revealing that this boundary is not static but rather a dynamic entity that fluctuates with the Sun's activity. Sam Badman, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center and the lead author of the study, stated, "For the first time, we have an accurate map that can serve as a navigational tool in this critical area, allowing us to observe real-time changes and compare them with direct measurements, thus deepening our understanding of solar processes."
Variability with Solar Activity
As the Sun approaches its peak in an 11-year cycle, these boundaries expand, becoming rougher and more irregular, while they smooth out during quieter solar periods. This finding enables scientists to enhance prediction models for solar storms that can disrupt Earth's power grids and threaten the safety of astronauts and satellites.
Insights into Other Stars
The research also suggests that these findings could be applied to understand the atmospheric behavior of other stars in our galaxy. Through repeated flights of the Parker Probe through the outer solar atmosphere, aided by the specialized SWEAP instrument, scientists obtained direct samples from the region below the Alfven surface, accurately determining where and when solar winds break free from the Sun's magnetic grip.
The Next Steps in Solar Research
The research teams plan to return the Parker Probe during the next quiet solar period, allowing them to monitor changes in the solar surface over an entire solar cycle. Scientists hope this study will help solve one of the most complex puzzles in solar physics:
> Why does the Sun's corona become hotter as we move further from its surface?
