Parker Solar Probe Challenges Long-Held Theories on Sun's Corona

New findings suggest S-shaped magnetic switchbacks are not the primary source of the corona's extreme heat.

The corona is up to 200 times hotter than the Sun's surface, a long-standing mystery in solar physics.
Data from Parker Solar Probe's initial orbits show a lack of switchbacks within the corona.
This discovery refutes the hypothesis that switchbacks originate from the Sun's surface.
Researchers propose switchbacks form in the solar wind, challenging previous theories.
Future missions aim to collect more data to test new hypotheses about the corona's heating mechanisms.