AI Article Synopsis

  • The Sun emits solar wind, a stream of ionized material, but its exact origin remains unclear.
  • Researchers used Hinode X-ray Telescope to observe a solar active region near a coronal hole, discovering a continuous outflow of soft X-ray-emitting plasmas.
  • These outflows are estimated to account for about 25% of the total mass loss rate of the solar wind, suggesting they could be a significant source of the solar wind itself.

Article Abstract

The Sun continuously expels a huge amount of ionized material into interplanetary space as the solar wind. Despite its influence on the heliospheric environment, the origin of the solar wind has yet to be well identified. In this paper, we report Hinode X-ray Telescope observations of a solar active region. At the edge of the active region, located adjacent to a coronal hole, a pattern of continuous outflow of soft-x-ray-emitting plasmas was identified emanating along apparently open magnetic field lines and into the upper corona. Estimates of temperature and density for the outflowing plasmas suggest a mass loss rate that amounts to approximately 1/4 of the total mass loss rate of the solar wind. These outflows may be indicative of one of the solar wind sources at the Sun.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1147292DOI Listing

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