Nature Commun. 6, 7008 (2015)

Although plasmas are the most abundant state of ordinary matter in the Universe, they are not known for their stability. This can be seen in our nearby star, which regularly ejects bursts of gases and magnetic fields that can cause severe damage to satellites, power grids and radio communications. Techniques to predict such bursts could help minimize the effects of future events, but greater understanding of their formation are required to develop such methods. The new solar telescope at the Big Bear Solar Observatory has now provided images of unprecedented resolution featuring magnetic flux ropes — one of the elements thought to play a crucial role in a range of solar eruptions.

Flux ropes are helical, current-carrying systems of twisted magnetic fields that rotate around a common axis. They are well known from laboratory plasma physics experiments, but identifying their presence in the Sun has proved challenging. The 1.6 m aperture of the new solar telescope has provided detailed images of the structure and evolution of a flaring twisted flux rope in the low solar atmosphere, bringing the relationship between flux ropes and solar eruptions within reach.