IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-53102-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Magnetic diffusion in solar atmosphere produces measurable electric fields

Author

Listed:
  • Tetsu Anan

    (National Solar Observatory)

  • Roberto Casini

    (NSF NCAR High Altitude Observatory)

  • Han Uitenbroek

    (National Solar Observatory)

  • Thomas A. Schad

    (National Solar Observatory)

  • Hector Socas-Navarro

    (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
    Universidad de La Laguna)

  • Kiyoshi Ichimoto

    (Ritsumeikan University)

  • Sarah A. Jaeggli

    (National Solar Observatory)

  • Sanjiv K. Tiwari

    (Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory
    NASA Research Park)

  • Jeffrey W. Reep

    (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)

  • Yukio Katsukawa

    (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)

  • Ayumi Asai

    (Kyoto University)

  • Jiong Qiu

    (Montana State University)

  • Kevin P. Reardon

    (National Solar Observatory
    University of Colorado)

  • Alexandra Tritschler

    (National Solar Observatory)

  • Friedrich Wöger

    (National Solar Observatory)

  • Thomas R. Rimmele

    (National Solar Observatory)

Abstract

The efficient release of magnetic energy in astrophysical plasmas, such as during solar flares, can in principle be achieved through magnetic diffusion, at a rate determined by the associated electric field. However, attempts at measuring electric fields in the solar atmosphere are scarce, and none exist for sites where the magnetic energy is presumably released. Here, we present observations of an energetic event using the National Science Foundation’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, where we detect the polarization signature of electric fields associated with magnetic diffusion. We measure the linear and circular polarization across the hydrogen Hε Balmer line at 397 nm at the site of a brightening event in the solar chromosphere. Our spectro-polarimetric modeling demonstrates that the observed polarization signals can only be explained by the presence of electric fields, providing conclusive evidence of magnetic diffusion, and opening a new window for the quantitative study of this mechanism in space plasmas.

Suggested Citation

  • Tetsu Anan & Roberto Casini & Han Uitenbroek & Thomas A. Schad & Hector Socas-Navarro & Kiyoshi Ichimoto & Sarah A. Jaeggli & Sanjiv K. Tiwari & Jeffrey W. Reep & Yukio Katsukawa & Ayumi Asai & Jiong , 2024. "Magnetic diffusion in solar atmosphere produces measurable electric fields," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-53102-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53102-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53102-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-53102-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-53102-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.