Scientists Spot New Types of Solar Waves That 'Defy Explanation'

Conventional astronomy does not possess the tools to allow scientists to explore the interior of the Sun, so researchers largely rely on interpreting surface activity to know more about it.

Researchers from New York University in Abu Dhabi have discovered a new type of high-frequency acoustic waves in the Sun that seem to travel much faster than predicted by theory - something that seems to be defying explanations.

The study, led by Research Associate Chris S. Hanson of NYU Abu Dhabi, has assembled 25 years' worth of space- and ground-based data to detect the waves. They are high-frequency retrograde waves that appear to move at three times the speed envisaged by current theories.

The scientific team detected a pattern of vortices on the surface of the Sun that showed an antisymmetry between the north and south poles. Additionally, the vortices were moving against the solar rotation.

The findings could help scientists to connect more dots in our understanding of the stars, along with the nature of magnetism, gravity and convection, as any of these three phenomena could drive the speed of the newly-discovered waves.

"If the HFR waves could be attributed to any of these three processes, then the finding would have answered some open questions we still have about the Sun", said Hanson. "However, these new waves don't appear to be a result of these processes, and that's exciting because it leads to a whole new set of questions".

Through the use of the solar waves, including the newly-discovered ones, scientists can learn more about the Sun and its impact on Earth and other planets in our solar system. The new findings even hint at the possibility of a new area of physics to be explored.

"The very existence of HFR modes and their origin is a true mystery and may allude to exciting physics at play", said Shravan Hanasoge, a co-author of the paper. "It has the potential to shed insight on the otherwise unobservable interior of the Sun".

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