Discovery of Alfvén waves in the corona of the Sun
Monday, August 1, 2011 - 16:31
in Physics & Chemistry
For the very first time, powerful Alfvén waves -- magnetic plasma waves -- have been observed in the Sun’s corona. The plasma in the observed waves moves at speeds of 20 km/s and the waves themselves propagate at high speeds of 200 to 250 km/s. The discovery of these powerful Alfvén waves is important because they may explain the high temperatures in the sun’s corona and the high speeds of solar wind.