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Astronomers finally resolve the sun’s miniature plasma whirlpools, each barely 20 kilometers wide
Astronomers using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope have captured images of previously unobserved plasma vortices on the sun's surface, each approximately 20 kilometers wide. These "miniature plasma whirlpools" are believed to be Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities and may play a significant role in how the sun banks, shifts, and releases magnetic energy, potentially explaining how magnetic fields are twisted and carried into the solar atmosphere. This discovery could help bridge gaps in current models of the sun's eleven-year activity cycle.
Inouye telescope spots plasma whirlpools rolling along the Sun’s magnetic edges
Physicists have identified Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, previously only observed in fluids, on the Sun's surface using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. These plasma whirlpools, too small for older instruments, could change our understanding of how heat and magnetic energy travel through the Sun's atmosphere. The discovery was a byproduct of a test aimed at achieving the telescope's maximum resolution.
