Marrakesh, Mar. 24 (Maroc-Actu) –
Researchers at the New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Space Science Center have discovered a new set of waves on the Sun, which are as follows seem to travel much faster than the theory predicts.
In the study, published in the journal “Nature Astronomy”.the researchers, led by research associate Chris S. Hanson, explain how they analyzed 25 years of space and ground data to detect these waves.
High Frequency Retrograde (HFR) waves – which travel in the opposite direction to the Sun’s rotation – appear as a pattern of vortices (swirling motions) on the Sun’s surface. and move at a speed three times faster than current theory.
The interiors of the Sun and stars cannot be imaged by conventional astronomy (e.g., optics, X-rays, etc.), and scientists rely on interpreting surface signatures of a variety of waves to image the interiors. These new HFR waves might be an important piece of the puzzle in our understanding of stars.
Complex interactions between other well-known waves and magnetism, gravity or convection might result in HFR waves at this speed.
“If HFR waves might be attributed to any of these three processes, the discovery would have answered some open questions we still have regarding the Sun,” says Hanson. However, these new waves don’t seem to be the result of these processes, and that’s exciting because it leads to a whole new set of questions. »
This research was conducted at NYUAD’s Space Science Center in collaboration with the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR) and New York University, using NYUAD and TIFR computing resources.
By studying the interior dynamics of the Sun – using wavelets – scientists can better appreciate the Sun’s potential impact on Earth and the other planets in our solar system.
“The very existence of HFR modes and their origin is a real mystery and may hint at some exciting physics at play,” says Shravan Hanasoge, co-author of the paper. It can potentially shed light on the Sun’s otherwise unobservable interior.