All articles tagged with #kelvin helmholtz instabilities
High-resolution images from the NSF’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope show Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities across the Sun’s magnetic boundaries, revealing ubiquitous small-scale whirlpools that may help mix plasma and magnetic fields, influence energy transport, and contribute to understanding space weather; findings published in Nature.
NASA's Parker Solar probe became the first spacecraft to fly through a coronal mass ejection off the Sun, capturing remarkable images of the tempestuous interior and revealing the rarely observed Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. These findings deepen our understanding of how these massive plasma expulsions interact with the solar wind, potentially aiding in forecasting their occurrence and mitigating their impact on Earth's infrastructure.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured footage of "vortex-like structures" in the sun's outer atmosphere, caused by a coronal mass ejection interacting with the solar wind. This discovery provides new opportunities to understand and predict CMEs, which can disrupt communications and electrical grids on Earth. The spacecraft, equipped with a 4.5-inch-thick carbon heat shield, will continue its dives into the sun's corona, reaching speeds of 430,000 miles per hour later this year.
NASA's Juno spacecraft has observed humongous plasma waves, known as Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs), in Jupiter's atmosphere. These waves occur when plasma from the solar wind interacts with the magnetopause, the outer level of Jupiter's magnetic field. The difference in velocity between the magnetopause and solar wind creates swirling vortex waves. Juno has provided the most extensive observations of these waves on Jupiter, shedding light on their formation and behavior. The waves result from plasma interactions and can push charged particles throughout the magnetopause. While similar waves exist on Earth, they are more prevalent above Jupiter.
NASA's Juno spacecraft has discovered giant swirling waves, known as Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, at the boundary between the solar wind and Jupiter's magnetosphere. These waves play a crucial role in transferring energy and mass from the solar wind to planetary spaces. The observations provide conclusive evidence of the active role these instabilities play in the interaction between the solar wind and Jupiter. The findings, based on data from Juno's instruments, including its magnetometer and Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment, were published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
A research team led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has discovered giant swirling waves, known as Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, at the boundary between Jupiter's magnetosphere and the solar wind. These waves play a crucial role in transferring energy and mass from the solar wind to Jupiter's space environment. The findings were based on data collected by NASA's Juno spacecraft, which frequently encounters these waves during its orbits around Jupiter. The observations provide conclusive evidence of the active role played by Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in the interaction between the solar wind and Jupiter.