The sun’s surface is home to large, swirling vortices of superheated plasma, according to images captured by the Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii, the largest solar telescope in operation. These whirlpools, ranging from about 15 to 105 miles in diameter, represent the clearest evidence yet of dynamic processes that may explain longstanding puzzles about the sun’s atmosphere.
Scientists have long sought to understand why the sun’s corona—the outermost atmospheric layer—reaches temperatures exceeding 1 million Celsius, while the visible surface, or photosphere, remains around 5,500 degrees Celsius. The newly observed plasma whirlpools, located near the edges of highly magnetic regions on the sun’s surface, could play a key role in this phenomenon.
The swirling structures are identified as examples of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, a fluid dynamic effect that occurs when two layers of gas or plasma move past each other at differing speeds. This results in small disturbances evolving into curling eddies. Although predicted in theoretical models, this instability had not been directly observed on the sun’s surface until now.
Computer simulations conducted alongside the observations produced patterns closely matching the captured images, confirming the presence of Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices. Researchers suggest that these vortices act as small engines, continually braiding the sun’s magnetic fields within the plasma. This process may generate and store magnetic energy, which, when released, produces solar flares and storms capable of disrupting Earth’s satellites and power grids.
Moreover, the spiraling plasma motions could help transport magnetic energy upward from the sun’s surface into the corona, where it converts into heat and contributes to the extreme temperatures observed there. This new understanding marks a significant advance in solar physics, providing insight into the mechanisms behind solar weather and the sun’s magnetic activity.
David Boboltz of the US National Solar Observatory, a co-author of the study published in the journal Nature, described the findings as “a major step forward” in understanding the sun’s complex behavior. The research underscores the value of high-resolution observations in revealing subtle but critical phenomena influencing space weather that affects modern technological infrastructure on Earth.