New Delhi: The Sun, a massive ball of plasma, continuously emits solar wind, which can lead to significant solar storms. These storms are primarily caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), where clouds of plasma from the Sun's outer atmosphere are forcefully expelled into space.
The dynamics of these CMEs are complex. Researchers are currently developing models to better understand how these charged particles, mainly protons and electrons, interact during their ejection. Faster CMEs tend to slow down while slower ones may gain speed, creating intricate interactions that have yet to be fully understood.
A recent study has enhanced a 50-year-old model to predict these interactions more accurately. Observations from the Parker Solar Probe in 2022 validated the new model, showing that particles across a broader spectrum of energy levels can be accelerated by CMEs, not just high-energy particles as previously thought.
This breakthrough can aid scientists in understanding emissions from various cosmic phenomena, including cosmic rays from supernovae. A paper detailing these findings has been published in The Astrophysical Journal, with lead author Thomas Do stating, 'This model can be used in other areas of space research that involve charged particles.'