Thermal Structure of Solar Coronal Holes and their Magnetic Fields Unveiled

Context: A new study by Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) has accurately estimated the thermal and magnetic field structures of solar coronal holes.

What are Solar Coronal Holes?

• Coronal holes are dark regions in X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images of the Sun.
• Characteristics:
  • Have open magnetic field lines extending into space.
  • Are low-density regions in the Sun’s atmosphere.
  • Serve as intense sources of fast solar wind (450-800 km/sec).
• Discovery: First identified in the 1970s by X-ray satellites.

Impact of Coronal Holes

High-speed solar wind from coronal holes interacts with Earth’s magnetic field, causing:

• Geomagnetic storms.
• Ionospheric disturbances, affecting radio communications.

Importance of Studying Coronal Holes

• Helps estimate the temperature, radiative flux and energy of coronal holes.
• Provides insights into their depth of origin inside the Sun.
• Determines how magnetic field strength varies across different latitudes.
• Better prediction of space weather.

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