Sun's fiery wind performs baffling U-turn, challenging everything we thought…
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured baffling magnetic "switchbacks." These force the solar wind into sudden "U-turns." This occurred deep within the Sun's super-hot atmosphere.
The probe pierced the Alfvén critical surface, the "point of no return." Here, solar wind outpaces solar waves, accelerating outwards. Scientists mapped this spiky boundary for the first time.
"It's like finding a river flowing uphill against gravity!" This unprecedented mapping occurred during solar maximum. UC Berkeley's Stuart D. Bale led the groundbreaking Nature study.
These findings challenge long-held solar wind acceleration models. Understanding this behavior improves global space weather forecasts. It's crucial for protecting Earth's vital technology.
This groundbreaking data sets the stage for predicting solar storms more accurately, urging us to share and discuss its implications for our connected world.
