One of the long-standing mysteries in solar physics is the source of #energy that heats and accelerates the solar wind, a stream of charged particles ejected by the Sun. Thanks to ESA’s Solar Orbiter, equipped with ten cutting-edge instruments, aligned with NASA’s Parker Solar Probe observations, scientists are closer than ever to understanding this phenomenon.
The data reveal that the energy driving the solar wind comes from large-scale #oscillations in the Sun’s magnetic field, known as #Alfvén waves, which store energy and transport it efficiently through the plasma. This discovery is a major breakthrough in understanding the #acceleration of the fast solar wind, which travels over 500 km/s.
Among Solar Orbiter’s instruments, there is the coronagraph #METIS (Multi Element Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy), realized by OHB Italia S.p.A. together with #INAF, #INFN and several Italian Universities. Roberto Aceti, CEO of the Company, stated:
“We are very proud to be part of this extraordinary exploration through METIS. It is observing the structure and dynamics of the full corona, the Sun’s outer atmosphere, with unprecedented temporal coverage and spatial resolution.”
By synchronizing data collection, Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe measured the same #solarwind flow at different stages of their journeys, providing definitive proof of the role played by Alfvén waves in the wind’s acceleration.
This mission is a great scientific #milestone and a testament to international collaboration, with contributions from ESA, NASA, and the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
#SolarPhysics #SpaceExploration #SolarOrbiter #ParkerSolarProbe #ScienceBreakthrough
