Solar physics articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves observed on the Sun help understanding solar plasma and involved processes. Here, the authors show resolved MHD waves in the solar corona displaying MHD lensing effect.

    • Xinping Zhou
    • , Yuandeng Shen
    •  & Chengrui Zhou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave mode conversion can occur when an MHD wave passes through a region where the plasma properties change. Here, the authors show direct observation of mode conversion from a fast-mode to a slow mode MHD wave near a 3D null point in the solar corona, which was as predicted by theory and MHD simulations.

    • Pankaj Kumar
    • , Valery M. Nakariakov
    •  & Kyung-Suk Cho

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hypothetical dark photon (DP) dark matter (DM) and axion DM might resonantly convert into electromagnetic waves in the solar corona. Here, the authors show upper limits on the axion-photon coupling and on the kinetic mixing coupling of DPDM and photon within 30-80 MHz in the solar corona radio observations.

    • Haipeng An
    • , Xingyao Chen
    •  & Yan Luo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polarization of decayless kink oscillations of solar coronal loops provide unique information about involved excitation mechanisms and energy supply, but its detection remains elusive. Here, the authors show horizontal and weakly oblique linear polarization of such oscillations, which favors the energy supply by quasi-steady flows.

    • Sihui Zhong
    • , Valery M. Nakariakov
    •  & David Berghmans

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetized plasmas display continuous spectra of current-sheet equilibria. How they select a particular equilibrium is not well understood. Now, equilibrium selection in magnetized plasmas is studied by analytical theory, particle-in-cell simulations and spacecraft observations, highlighting the role of current-sheet relaxation processes.

    • Young Dae Yoon
    • , Deirdre E. Wendel
    •  & Gunsu S. Yun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) are frequently detected in solar and stellar flares, but the underlying physical mechanisms are still to be ascertained. Here, the authors show microwave QPPs during a solar flare originating from quasi-periodic magnetic reconnection at the flare current sheet.

    • Yuankun Kou
    • , Xin Cheng
    •  & Mingde Ding

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Two extreme solar energetic particle events have been found by carbon isotopes measured in ancient tree rings in 7176 and 5259 BCE. The recorded ~2% increases of atmospheric 14 C for both events exceeds in amplitude of all previously observed events.

    • Nicolas Brehm
    • , Marcus Christl
    •  & Lukas Wacker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Solar flares provide wide range of observational details about fundamental processes involved. Here, the authors show evidence for magnetic reconnection in a strong confined solar flare displaying all four reconnection flows with plasmoids in the current sheet and the separatrices.

    • Xiaoli Yan
    • , Zhike Xue
    •  & Zhong Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Co-existence of several magnetohydrodynamic oscillations modes on the Sun were predicted earlier. Here, the authors show large-scale coherent oscillations in a sunspot, with a spectrum different than solar global acoustic oscillations, incorporating a superposition of many resonant wave modes.

    • M. Stangalini
    • , G. Verth
    •  & C. D. MacBride

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Twisted flux tubes are prominent candidates for the progenitors of solar active regions. Here, the authors show a clear signature of the emergence of pre-twisted magnetic flux tubes using magnetic winding, which detects the emerging magnetic topology despite the deformation experienced by the emerging magnetic field.

    • D. MacTaggart
    • , C. Prior
    •  & S. L. Guglielmino

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Heating of the upper solar atmospheric layers is an open question. Here, the authors show observational evidence that ubiquitous Alfven pulses are excited by prevalent photospheric swirls, which are found to propagate upwards and carry enough energy flux needed to balance the local upper chromospheric energy loss.

    • Jiajia Liu
    • , Chris J. Nelson
    •  & Robert Erdélyi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves and plasma instabilities can be studied during solar flares. Here the authors show evidence for an MHD sausage mode oscillation periodically triggering electron acceleration at a magnetic null point in the solar corona, indicating MHD oscillations in plasma can indirectly lead to loss-cone instability modulation.

    • Eoin P. Carley
    • , Laura A. Hayes
    •  & Peter T. Gallagher

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Various physical mechanisms are proposed to explain the heating observed in turbulent astrophysical plasmas. Here, Chen et al. find a signature consistent with one of these mechanisms, electron Landau damping, by applying a field-particle correlation technique to in situ spacecraft data of turbulence in the Earth’s magnetosheath.

    • C. H. K. Chen
    • , K. G. Klein
    •  & G. G. Howes

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetic reconnection is the process of releasing energy by magnetized and space plasma. Here the authors report experimental observation of magnetic reconnection in laser-produced plasma and the role of electron scaling on reconnection.

    • Y. Kuramitsu
    • , T. Moritaka
    •  & M. Hoshino

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Tree rings retain information of sudden variations of ancient radiocarbon (14C) content, however the origin and exact timing of these events often remain uncertain. Here, the authors analyze a set of Arctic tree rings and link a rapid increase in 14C to a solar event that occurred during the spring of AD 774.

    • J. Uusitalo
    • , L. Arppe
    •  & M. Oinonen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Solar eruptions are large explosions occurring in the solar atmosphere. Here, the authors perform magnetohydrodynamic simulations to unveil the dynamics of a solar eruption, and find that these are dominated by nonlinear processes involving flux tube evolution and reconnection.

    • Satoshi Inoue
    • , Kanya Kusano
    •  & Jan Skála

  • Article
    | Open Access

    White-light flares are rare solar events entailing emission in the optical continuum. Here, the authors report a nearly circular white-light flare observed on March 10th 2015 that contains simultaneously both impulsive and gradual white-light kernels.

    • Q. Hao
    • , K. Yang
    •  & Z. Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Radio observations of the solar atmosphere provide a unique view on the non-thermal processes in the outer atmosphere. Here the authors use LOFAR observations to demonstrate that the observed radio burst characteristics are dominated by propagation effects rather than underlying emission variations.

    • E. P. Kontar
    • , S. Yu
    •  & P. Subramanian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    14C can be absorbed by trees as a result of the interaction of cosmic rays produced by high-energy phenomena with the Earth’s atmosphere. Here, the authors observe a rapid increase of 14C in an ancient buried tree from BC 3372 to BC 3371, and suggest that it could originate from a large solar proton event.

    • F. Y. Wang
    • , H. Yu
    •  & K. S. Cheng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Solar eruptions provide opportunities to study magnetic flux ropes, a structure of fundamental importance for both plasma physics and space weather. Here the authors reveal the dynamic formation of a flux rope through its footprint on the solar surface, revealing a highly twisted core structure.

    • Wensi Wang
    • , Rui Liu
    •  & Chunming Zhu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Sun’s elemental composition is a vital part of understanding the processes that transport energy from the interior to the outer atmosphere. Here, the authors show that if the Sun is observed as a star, then the variation of coronal composition is highly correlated with the F10.7cm radio flux.

    • David H. Brooks
    • , Deborah Baker
    •  & Harry P. Warren

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The dynamic of plasma heating in solar flares can be effectively derived from observations of optical hydrogen H-α line emissions. Here the authors report the observation of a C1.5 class flare that produced two H-α ribbons, interpreted combining radiative models affected by an electron beam.

    • Malcolm Druett
    • , Eamon Scullion
    •  & Luc Rouppe Van der Voort

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Back reaction of coronal magnetic fields on the solar surface may help to understand the coronal reconfiguration during a solar flare. Here the authors report observation of reversal of the rotation of a sunspot during a X1.6 flare with data from HMI.

    • Yi Bi
    • , Yunchun Jiang
    •  & Zhe Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Sunspots are concentration of magnetic field visible on the solar surface, which were thought to be unaffected by solar flares that take place in the solar corona. Here the authors report evidence of a flare-induced rotation of a sunspot, showing nonuniform acceleration following the peaks of X-ray emissions.

    • Chang Liu
    • , Yan Xu
    •  & Haimin Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The interaction between the Earth’s magnetic field and the solar wind results in the formation of a collisionless bow shock. Here, the authors study an even in which the solar wind Mach number remained steadily below one, leading to the evanescence of the bow shock and loss of electrons in the outer belts.

    • Noé Lugaz
    • , Charles J. Farrugia
    •  & Nathan A. Schwadron

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The causes behind fluctuations in Neptune's brightness as observed from Earth have proved enigmatic. Here, Aplin and Harrison use photometric observations to show that solar ultraviolet radiation and galactic cosmic rays combined are responsible for the fluctuations originating in Neptune’s atmosphere.

    • K. L. Aplin
    •  & R. G. Harrison

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process giving rise to topology change and energy release in plasmas, of particular relevance for the Sun. Here the authors report the observation of fast reconnection in a solar filament eruption, which occurs between a set of ambient fibrils and the filament itself.

    • Zhike Xue
    • , Xiaoli Yan
    •  & Li Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Natural spikes in radiocarbon have been identified at AD 774/5 and 993/4 and attributed to exceptional cosmic-ray events, although the cause remains uncertain. Here, the authors analyse records recovered from ice cores and suggest these spikes originated from extreme solar particle events.

    • Florian Mekhaldi
    • , Raimund Muscheler
    •  & Thomas E. Woodruff

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental energy release process taking place in various astrophysical environments, but it is difficult to observe it directly. Here, the authors provide evidence of three-dimensional magnetic reconnection in a solar eruption using combined perspectives of two spacecraft.

    • J. Q. Sun
    • , X. Cheng
    •  & C. Fang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Regional surface climate response to a future decline in solar activity remains uncertain. Here, via numerical simulations, the authors show that a return to Maunder Minimum-like lows by 2050 could lead to some areas of significantly reduced surface warming via modulation of the North Atlantic Oscillation.

    • Sarah Ineson
    • , Amanda C. Maycock
    •  & Richard A. Wood

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Coronal mass ejections from the Sun play an important role in space weather, yet a full understanding of their behaviour remains elusive. Towards this aim, Möstl et al. present a suite of observations showing that an ejection was channelled away from its source region, explaining incorrect forecasts.

    • Christian Möstl
    • , Tanja Rollett
    •  & Bojan Vršnak

  • Article |

    Lunar swirls are high-albedo features on the Moon whose origins are widely debated. Using observations from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer, Glotch et al. present evidence supporting the idea that the swirls arise from abnormal space weathering caused by local magnetic field deflection of solar wind.

    • Timothy D. Glotch
    • , Joshua L. Bandfield
    •  & David A. Paige

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Both fast and slow solar winds emanate from our Sun, although the source of the slow component remains elusive. Towards identifying this, Brooks et al. present full-Sun spectral images from Hinode, combined with magnetic modelling, to produce a solar wind source map.

    • David H. Brooks
    • , Ignacio Ugarte-Urra
    •  & Harry P. Warren

  • Article |

    Solar flares follow complex statistical patterns, making it hard to understand and model their underlying physical processes. Here, the authors present a model based on reconnection of magnetic flux tubes twisted by turbulent photospheric flow that reproduces flare statistics and energy–time correlations.

    • M. Mendoza
    • , A. Kaydul
    •  & H. J. Herrmann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Very long baseline interferometry is an astronomical technique that uses radio telescopes on Earth to observe extragalactic radio sources. Here, the authors show that it can be used to measure the electron density of the Sun’s corona and compare their findings to models from spacecraft tracking data.

    • B. Soja
    • , R. Heinkelmann
    •  & H. Schuh

  • Article |

    A full understanding of the heating and dynamics of the Sun's atmosphere remains elusive, but magnetohydrodynamic waves are believed to be crucial. Using observations from the ROSA imager, this study finds compressive waves in the solar chromosphere, which may provide the energy needed for coronal heating.

    • Richard J. Morton
    • , Gary Verth
    •  & Robertus Erdélyi

  • Article |

    Explosive energy releases in plasmas, such as in solar eruptions like flares and coronal mass ejections, are thought to be caused by magnetic reconnection in thin current sheets. Zhanget al. observed a magnetic flux rope during a solar eruption, highlighting its role in driving explosive energy releases.

    • Jie Zhang
    • , Xin Cheng
    •  & Ming-de Ding

  • Article |

    The physics governing the propagation of solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs), an important cause of bad space weather on Earth, is poorly understood. The authors model a CME's three-dimensional propagation and determine accurate arrival times near the Earth's surface.

    • Jason P. Byrne
    • , Shane A. Maloney
    •  & Peter T. Gallagher

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