Scientists have found the source of the Sun's magnetic engine at a depth of 200 thousand km.

Physicists at the New Jersey Institute of Technology have identified the likely location of the Sun's magnetic engine - it is located about 200 thousand km below the surface of the star. This was reported in the magazine on March 17. Phys.org .

The work was led by lead author and scientific professor of physics at NJIT Krishnendu Mandal. Scientists have analyzed almost 30 years of data on solar oscillations and for the first time obtained observational evidence of exactly where the solar dynamo originates.

Every 11 years, the Sun's magnetic field reverses its polarity. Sunspots — dark, cooler areas on the surface of a star with intense magnetic activity — appear at mid-latitudes and gradually shift towards the equator, forming a characteristic butterfly-shaped pattern, after which they disappear with the beginning of a new cycle. The surface picture of this phenomenon has long been known to astronomers, but its deep source remained a mystery.

"Until now, we simply did not have enough data about what is happening inside the star to confidently talk about the place of formation of the powerful magnetic fields of the Sun. Sunspots are visible traces of the magnetic fields that control space weather, but data on solar oscillations tell us that the real "engine room" that generates them is much deeper," Mandal explained.

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For the study, the team combined data from three instruments: the Michelson Doppler imager aboard NASA's SOHO satellite, the helioseismic imager aboard the SDO Solar Dynamics Observatory, and the GONG terrestrial network. The instruments have been detecting sound waves generated by turbulent plasma movements inside the star every 45-60 seconds since the mid-1990s. Collectively, the scientists analyzed billions of individual measurements, obtaining one of the most detailed recordings of the Sun's internal vibrations.

The researchers tracked how sound waves pass through the solar interior, and based on changes in the time of their passage, they restored the movement and rotation of the plasma. The analysis revealed migrating rotation bands in the deep layers, forming the same "butterfly-like" pattern as the spots on the surface.

By tracing these flows, the scientists reached a key transition layer, the tacocline, located about 200,000 km from the surface. This thin layer separates the turbulent outer convective zone, where the plasma is bubbling and rising, and the stable radiant zone below. At the boundary of the tacocline, the rotation of the Sun changes dramatically, generating powerful shear currents capable of generating magnetic fields.

According to Mandal, many existing simulations take into account only the processes in the near-surface layers, while the results of the study indicate the need to include the entire convective zone and especially the tacocline in the models. The discovery may also have implications for studying other stars. Many of them show magnetic cycles similar to the solar one, but it is impossible to obtain such detailed data for them due to the huge distances.

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On March 14, Science Daily magazine reported the discovery of spider-like ridges on Mars. According to the publication, the find indicates a longer existence of groundwater than previously assumed.

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