Photographs of the Sun are replete with the coronal loops that make the images iconic. The loops are well-defined strands of hot plasma that protrude into the Sun’s atmosphere like beautiful arches. But how real are these loops? Physicists, astronomers, and researchers believe several of the Sun’s loops might not exist. These could be sun illusions created upon the corona veil or a curtain of plasma by wrinkles of greater density. If the finding is true, the presence of unexpected plasma structures, as seen in computer simulations of the Sun’s atmosphere, could be a game-changer. It would have a considerable impact on the way scientists measure some of the properties of the star.
What are Sun Illusions?
The solar corona has always intrigued scientists and researchers who based several of their findings on assumptions around the existence of the coronal loops. All these years, scientists believed that the rope-like plasma strands existed in the solar atmosphere. Over the years, scientists have been delving deep into the structure of the loops to establish that it exists. It was a journey from assumptions to reality.
The plasma sheets fold one upon another like bright, thin lines that appear like self-contained and distinct strands of plasma. But, a recent publication of a research paper in The Astrophysical Journal highlighted the recent findings that point out that the loops are nothing but illusions. It resulted from wrinkles of bight plasma present in the Sun’s atmosphere.
The Coronal Veil Hypothesis can Become a Game-Changer
The research team of NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) has named the findings the coronal veil hypothesis. The hypothesis can significantly impact our understanding of the Sun because, for decades, the presumed coronal loops served as reference points to infer information about temperature, density, and other physical characteristics of the Sun’s atmosphere.
The findings could completely change the way scientists explored the Sun’s features based on the assumption that the loops were real. It’s a massive shock for scientists and researchers who need to relook at the Sun from an entirely different perspective. The belief and understanding about the Sun and the solar atmosphere are now set to change. The information available until now is also set to change. We are likely to hear new things about the Sun’s atmosphere that are different from what we knew earlier.
The Changed Explanation about the Loops
The theory of magnetism and magnetic fields influenced scientists’ findings in believing in the existence of coronal loops. But the recent detailed study of the computer simulation of the images of the loops revealed specific characteristics and behavior that defied the theory of magnetism. According to the theory, the plasma trapped between the field lines should have spread thinner when moving higher up in the corona. It should have created less bright and thicker loops. But the loops are equally bright at the farthest ends, making scientists doubt its physical existence.
They concluded that the loops in the images are nothing but sun illusions.
