New research indicates the sun’s magnetic field originates much closer to the surface than previously thought, a finding that could help predict periods of extreme solar storms like the ones that slammed Earth earlier this month. The magnetic field appears to generate 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) beneath the sun’s surface. The sun’s intense magnetic energy is the source of solar flares and eruptions of plasma known as coronal mass ejections. Vasil and his team developed new models of the interaction between the sun’s magnetic field and the flow of plasma, which varies at different latitudes during an 11-year cycle. The results suggested a shallow magnetic field and additional research is needed to confirm this.

Source: The Hindu May 23, 2024 21:39 UTC