Although the sun is the nearest and brightest celestial body to us, it still needs to be explored by astronomers. In order to measure and plot the magnetic field intensity of the photosphere and chromosphere in the solar atmosphere, scientists have improved the accuracy through the combination of satellites and sounding rockets. With the help of CLASP2 sounding rocket and Hinode space telescope to measure the magnetic field intensity on four planes with different heights, astronomers can draw the following magnetic field line distribution in chromosphere.
green represents magnetic field lines (pictured from: NAOJ)
It is recognized in academic circles that the magnetic field plays an important role in the heating process of the corona, but the details of this process are still unclear.
To solve this mystery, it is important to understand the magnetic field in chromosphere. In the structure of the solar atmosphere, the chromosphere lies between the corona and the photosphere, which is the visible surface of the sun.
recently, an international team led by Ryohko Ishikawa, an assistant professor at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and Javier Trujillo Bueno, a professor at the Rias Space Research Institute in Ghana, Canada, conducted two analyses on the data collected by the CLASP2 sounding rocket experiment.
CLASP2 magnetic field imaginary map, from: Gabriel Pérez Díaz/SMM(IAC)
As early as April 11th, 219, during the meeting, they determined the observation of the active area and the vertical component of the magnetic field in the surrounding environment by analyzing the signature mark of the ultraviolet light of the magnetic field on the chromosphere.
now, the unique high-precision data from CLASP2 enables the research team to determine the magnetic field strength in the lower, middle and upper regions of chromosphere. In addition, the data obtained by Japanese Hinode solar observation satellite have also provided information about the magnetic field of the photosphere.
The research team found that the solar atmospheric magnetic field is highly structured, but it has expanded, rapidly merged and spread horizontally in the chromosphere.
The photo above shows how the magnetic field is transferred from the inner layer of the sun's atmosphere to the outer layer (corona).