Solar Flares Heat Ions to 60 Million Degrees, Challenging 50-Year Physics Puzzle
ST. ANDREWS,SCOTLAND – A new study from the University of St. Andrews reveals that ions within solar flares reach temperatures exceeding 60 million degrees celsius – 6.5 times hotter than previously estimated – resolving a decades-old mystery surrounding the sun’s spectral lines. The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, upend conventional understanding of energy distribution during solar flares and have implications for space weather forecasting, satellite operation, and astronaut safety.
For nearly half a century, physicists have been baffled by the unusually broad spectral lines emitted during solar flares. The prevailing theory assumed ions and electrons reached similar temperatures. This research demonstrates a significant disparity, with ions experiencing dramatically greater heating. Solar flares, powerful bursts of energy from the sun’s atmosphere, can disrupt Earth’s atmosphere, interfere with satellite communications, and pose risks to astronauts. Understanding the mechanics of these flares is crucial for mitigating their impact.
The research team, led by Dr. Alexander Russell, a solar theory expert at St. andrews, found that magnetic reconnection heats ions 6.5 times more effectively than electrons. “This evidence is consistent in space observations, solar breeze, to numerical simulations,” Dr. Russell explained. “But this is the first time associated with sun flares.” The superheated ions are believed to be the key to explaining the long-observed widening of spectral lines, a phenomenon previously attributed to turbulence.
The study confirms that these energetic flares can heat plasma to tens of millions of degrees, releasing X-ray radiation and impacting near-Earth space. The new data supports a model where extreme ion temperatures are a primary driver of flare dynamics, shifting the paradigm in solar physics and possibly unlocking solutions to longstanding astrophysical puzzles.