Solar Probes Uncover Mechanism Behind Solar Wind Acceleration

New data from NASA and ESA missions reveal Alfvén waves as key to the solar wind's unexpected heat and speed.

Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter observed the same plasma stream at different distances from the Sun.
Data suggest Alfvén waves dissipate energy, heating and accelerating the solar wind.
Measurements show solar wind travels faster and is hotter than previous models predicted.
The findings address long-standing questions about solar wind dynamics since the Space Age.
Further research aims to confirm the energy transfer process between Alfvén waves and the solar wind.