Scientists have directly detected Alfven waves in the Sun’s corona for the first time.
These magnetic waves may account for at least half of the energy needed to heat the Sun’s outer atmosphere.
The Sun’s corona reaches 2 million degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 million degrees Celsius), far hotter than its surface at 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius).
The discovery was made using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) in Hawaii.
Red and blue Doppler shifts in the corona confirmed the presence of Alfven waves.