Stratospheric observatory Sunrise-III reveals intricate solar magnetic structures

A team of researchers led by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan discovered unexpectedly intricate magnetic structures above quiet-sun regions using the balloon-borne solar observatory Sunrise-III. The observatory detected thin, elongated, thread-like magnetic structures embedded within the magnetic canopy above a quiet-sun region. These structures were reproduced in a numerical simulation, showing that they are associated with magnetic field lines twisted by motions at the solar surface. The findings suggest that the magnetic canopy above quiet-sun regions is not a simple, uniformly expanding structure but instead contains numerous thin, elongated magnetic substructures.

The Sunrise-III observations were made in Earth's stratosphere, at an altitude of 35 km, where atmospheric blurring is minimal. The gondola carried three instruments, including the near-infrared spectropolarimeter SCIP, which can continuously observe the magnetic field from the photosphere up through the chromosphere. High-precision observations from the stratosphere allowed detailed mapping of the chromospheric magnetic field above quiet-sun regions. The study provides important clues to understanding how energy is transported up from the solar surface to heat the solar atmosphere.

The research was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, and the findings are part of an international collaborative project. The study highlights the importance of using stratospheric observatories to observe solar magnetic fields in detail, as ground-based telescopes struggle with atmospheric blurring in quiet-sun regions. The observations reveal the complexity of magnetic structures in the solar atmosphere and contribute to a better understanding of solar dynamics.

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