A mystery that has puzzled astronomers and physicists for decades is one step closer to being solved thanks to a collaboration between Northumbria University and Lockheed Martin, a major US aerospace technology organization.
The solar corona, the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere, reaches temperatures millions of degrees higher than the surface of the sun. It is formed and powered by the Sun’s magnetic field, but the exact process by which the magnetic field transfers its energy to the coronal gas has remained elusive over the past 80 years.
One theory, known as the Parker nanoflare theory, put forward in 1988, states that the heat generated when magnetic field lines in the corona break and recombine cause sudden bursts of energy, or “nanoflares.” suggesting.
In 2021, a research team led by Dr. Patrick Antolin of Northumbria will provide direct evidence that this reconnection causes a very rapid lateral separation of the reconnecting magnetic field lines along with the nanoflare, creating a ‘nanojet’. discovered. This phenomenon now constitutes a telltale sign of the nanoflare theory, which, if prevalent within the corona, could explain the high temperature of the solar corona.
However, nanojets are difficult to detect and predict. Images and videos of actual processes are purely accidental, and little is known about how often nanojets occur and how they affect coronal heating. The small size and short timescale of nanojets also make it difficult for instruments to detect them at the currently available resolutions.
To gather more evidence, Northumbria PhD student Ramada Skarmaji, under the supervision of Dr. Patrick Antolin, will work with Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics, part of Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center. A machine-learning algorithm that, in collaboration with scientists at the Institute (LMSAL), automatically detects and records nanojets as they occur.
Ramada is a member of the world’s leading solar and astrophysics research group at Northumbria University and has a wide range of over 40 industry partners including UK Research Innovation, the UK Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the UK Met Office and Lockheed Martin. We are cooperating. .
Dr. Patrick Antolin is the leading authority on magnetic reconnection and nanojets.his paper Reconnecting nanojets in the solar corona, was announced in natural astronomy In 2020, they reported for the first time that they found working nanojets that cause coronal heating.
A team from Northumbria University and Lockheed Martin used NASA’s Interfacial Area Imaging Spectrometer (IRIS) and the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (both from the Lockheed Martin Institute for Solar and Astrophysics (LMSAL)). We plan to analyze existing images of the nanojet captured by the (designed and built). works with The IRIS team has spent weeks observing to detect the nanojet. Using this data, the team identifies the spectral and intensity profiles that are unique to nanojets as they occur, and uses machine learning to create algorithms for further analysis.
Ramada recently conducted a five-week study with LMSAL scientists in Palo Alto, California. Funding for the trip was secured through Dr. Antolin of the European Space Agency and the Turing Scheme, a UK government program that offers students the opportunity to work or study abroad. Dr. Alberto Sainz-Darda of LMSAL recently spent time in Northumbria as part of an interdisciplinary research thematic project, continuing his collaboration with Dr. Ramada and Dr. Antolin.
Commenting on the research project, Professor Ramada said, “Thanks to the work of my supervisor Dr. Antolin and others, nanojets exist and reconnection-based heating is important in explaining why the solar corona reaches such high temperatures. We know it can play a role,” he said.
“However, at the moment we can only observe nanojet generation by eye. What we need is a way to automatically detect nanojet generation, especially given the large amount of data obtained in our project.
“They are very small, and the limited evidence we have suggests there are probably more than we think, but to understand them further, we need to know that they are I need to be able to detect when it happens.
“By analyzing data from previously generated nanojets, we can essentially ‘teach’ a computer to identify nanojets through machine learning. This will allow us to capture future events and improve our understanding of this phenomenon and how it contributes to the heating of the corona. ”
Commenting on the Ramada study, Dr. Antolin said: Her willingness to learn, her excellent skill set and her excellent eloquence make her an excellent researcher. Over the last few years, she has not only helped establish the nanojet as an important cornerstone of solar physics, but she has also done an excellent job of making it even more important by making more influential discoveries. rice field. ”
Northumbria University has a strong partnership with Lockheed Martin, with a new partnership announced last year that will see an investment of over £600,000 to support the development of skills, research and technology across the region. .
This was followed by the announcement of a further £150,000 investment, notably in Northumbria University, with a project announced in March aimed at accelerating the supply of space-based solar power.
Aspiring students can learn more about this exciting field of study at Northumbria University’s Bachelor of Physics with Astrophysics (Hons) course. This course includes learning about space weather, artificial intelligence, and the latest astrophysical research.
Solar and astrophysics are the pinnacle of study at Northumbria University. Find out more about the work of academics working in this field.
