Dust Near the Sun Could Be a Hidden Heat Source for the Corona
A NASA Parker Solar Probe study suggests tiny charged dust grains near the Sun can alter kinetic Alfvén waves that carry energy through the corona and into the young solar wind, offering a new angle on the long-standing coronal heating puzzle. Although dust grains should vaporize in the extreme near-Sun environment, the probe’s indirect dust signatures indicate they could change how energy is transported, either by moving heat deeper into the corona or releasing energy where grains interact with the plasma. The finding adds a missing ingredient rather than solving the problem on its own, and it relies on assumptions about dust impact rates and grain charging; future missions with dedicated dust detectors could test whether dust truly helps heat the Sun’s outer atmosphere.