ESA’s solar orbiter has solved the mystery of a magnetic phenomenon in the solar wind. It produced the first-ever image of a “turn-back” in the solar corona, confirming its predicted “S” shape. Reverse switching is defined by rapid reversals of magnetic field direction. The observed reverse switching is associated with an active region associated with sunspots and magnetic activity, where there is an interaction between open and closed magnetic field lines. The interaction releases energy and sends the S-shaped perturbation into space. The new data suggest that the switches can occur near the solar surface and may be important for understanding the acceleration and heating of the solar wind.
Solar Orbiter is an international collaboration mission between ESA and NASA.
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Credits: ESA; see credit screen on individual images.
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