Solar flare ions reach extreme temperatures in development study
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Sep 07, 2025
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New research from the University of St Andrews recommends that ions in solar flares can heat up to greater than 60 million levels, over 6 times hotter than previously believed, providing a service to a 50 -year-old astrophysical enigma.
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Solar flares release large quantities of power in the Sun’s external ambience, home heating regions to over 10 million levels. These eruptions produce intense bursts of X-rays and radiation, positioning hazards to satellites, astronauts, and Planet’s top atmosphere.
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The research study, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, highlights that solar flare plasma, composed of ions and electrons, experiences irregular home heating. The team, led by Dr Alexander Russell of the Institution of Mathematics and Data, found that ions are heated even more highly than electrons.
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” We were delighted by current explorations that a process called magnetic reconnection heats up ions 6 5 times as long as electrons,” stated Dr Russell. “This seems an universal law, confirmed in near-Earth room, the solar wind, and simulations. Nonetheless, no one had formerly attached this to solar flares.”
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Generally, solar physics assumed that ions and electrons share the exact same temperature. Re-examining information, the scientists showed that temperature distinctions can continue for 10s of mins throughout flares, introducing the idea of super-heated ions.
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Crucially, the revised ion temperatures align with the observed size of flare spooky lines. Because the 1970 s, researchers puzzled over why these lines in X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet light appear wider than forecasted. Earlier theories associated this to disturbance, however evidence has actually battled to confirm that description.
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The searchings for suggest that hotter ions considerably contribute to line widening, marking a standard change in flare physics and solving a puzzle that has actually sustained for virtually half a century.
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Research study Report: Solar Flare Ion Temperatures
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Associated Links
College of St. Andrews
Solar Scientific Research Information at SpaceDaily