In a major leap for solar science, researchers have finally captured the mysterious magnetic waves believed to power the Sun's superheated outer atmosphere - the corona.

Using the world's most advanced solar observatory, the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii, scientists have directly observed torsional Alfvén waves - twisting magnetic ripples moving through the Sun's plasma. These elusive waves were first predicted more than 80 years ago, and their discovery may solve one of the Sun's greatest mysteries: why the corona is millions of degrees hotter than the Sun's surface.

A Mystery Eight Decades in the Making

The existence of Alfvén waves was first proposed in the 1940s by Nobel laureate Hannes Alfvén. These waves are like invisible vibrations that travel along magnetic field lines in the Sun's plasma. While scientists have detected large, flare-related waves before, this is the first time they've caught the smaller, constantly twisting versions that may continuously transfer energy into the corona.

“This discovery ends a decades-long search,” said Professor Richard Morton of Northumbria University, who led the study.“For the first time, we can see these torsional motions directly twisting the magnetic field lines in the Sun's atmosphere.”

Unveiling the Hidden Twists of the Sun

The breakthrough came thanks to the telescope's Cryogenic Near Infrared Spectropolarimeter (Cryo-NIRSP) - a cutting-edge instrument capable of measuring the tiniest plasma motions in the Sun's corona.

Morton's team tracked the movement of superheated iron, glowing at around 1.6 million degrees Celsius, and used new data analysis techniques to isolate the subtle twisting motions hidden among stronger swaying waves.

While typical solar waves make entire magnetic structures wobble, these torsional Alfvén waves twist magnetic fields like a coiled spring. The team detected this motion spectroscopically - as alternating red and blue shifts on either side of the magnetic loops, revealing plasma moving toward and away from Earth.

Why It Matters: The Corona's Fiery Heat

The Sun's corona can reach temperatures of over a million degrees, much hotter than its 5,500°C surface - a mystery that has puzzled scientists for decades. The newly observed twisting waves may provide the missing link, constantly pumping energy into the corona and driving the solar wind, the stream of charged particles that fills our solar system.

Understanding how these waves behave could help predict space weather, which can disrupt satellites, GPS systems, and even power grids on Earth.

“This research validates long-standing theories that Alfvén wave turbulence powers the corona,” said Morton.“Now that we can see them, we can finally test those models against reality.”

A Global Effort to Understand Our Star

The study involved scientists from Peking University, KU Leuven, Queen Mary University of London, and the NSF's National Solar Observatory. It was published in Nature Astronomy on October 24, 2025.

Northumbria University played a key role in developing imaging systems for the Inouye Telescope, which boasts a four-meter mirror - the largest ever built for solar observation - offering unmatched resolution of the Sun's complex magnetic landscape.

Morton's team plans to continue studying how these waves move, collide, and release energy throughout the corona. Future observations will help refine our understanding of solar physics - and, ultimately, how the Sun influences life on Earth.

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