New Mars Forums

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,421

Solar Observations Pure Science at Work

The link with which this topic begins is for a 60 second teaser for a full one hour video of 10 years of observations of the Sun.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/06/2 … ig-vpx.cnn

I am hoping this topic will provide a collecting point for similar pure science.

***
https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/06/2 … ig-vpx.cnn

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,421

Re: Solar Observations Pure Science at Work

This topic has been sitting idle for a while... here is an update about the Parker Solar Satellite ...

https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-a-na … wtab-en-us

The research reported appears to support the hypothesis that magnetic field fluctuations are responsible for the temperature of the solar corona and subsequently, for the vigor of streams of particles that are ejected into space.

By Thomas Zurbuchen

Contributing Columnist

April 29, 2024
View PDF/Print Mode
Our sun is the best-observed star in the entire universe.

An attempt to quote more was blocked by AISE

About the author:

Thomas Zurbuchen
NASA Science (.gov)
https://science.nasa.gov › people › thomas-zurbuchen
Thomas Zurbuchen from science.nasa.gov
As NASA's Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen was tasked with helping us answer some of humanity's biggest ...

(th)

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,857

Re: Solar Observations Pure Science at Work

tahanson43206,

I want to know how close we are to answering questions about the magnetic reconnection observations that NASA and the US Air Force spent so much money on.

New theory explains mystery behind fast magnetic reconnection

Here's a page where you can get access to the data being collected:
MMS Science Data Center

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,421

Re: Solar Observations Pure Science at Work

For kbd512 re #3

Thanks for a helpful addition to this topic!

The article at the "New theory" link contained this hint of possible application of the research...

The new study can also inform reconnection studies in magnetically confined fusion devices and astrophysical plasmas near neutron stars and black holes. Although there is no current applied use, some researchers have considered the possibility of using magnetic reconnection in spacecraft thrusters.

More information: Liu, YH. et al. First-principles theory of the rate of magnetic reconnection in magnetospheric and solar plasmas. Communications Physics (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s42005-022-00854-x

Journal information: Communications Physics

Provided by Dartmouth College

If I understand the paper correctly, Nature seems to be telling us how to use magnetic fields to create powerful bursts of particles. The mechanism appears to be magnetic fields flowing in opposite directions which might be understood as stored energy.  I appreciate your interest in this subject and hope that NewMars members will watch the Internet for any news that may appear of progress along these lines.

A propulsion system using this method would necessarily be of a pulsed nature, but if this natural process can be harnessed, it might have advantages over traditional ion acceleration methods.

I am imagining a propulsion device that (somehow) builds up a store of magnetic energy of the required kind, and introduces a supply of ions to the correct location just in time for a magnetic field collapse that would accelerate the ions to high velocity in a desired direction.

(th)