Washington, Oct 14 (PTI) Scientists have found possibleevidence of a source of energy that could be responsible forheating the Sun's atmosphere or corona.
In the study published in the journal Nature Astronomy,the researchers used data from the FOXSI-2 sounding rocket -a rocket payload carrying seven telescopes designed to studythe Sun.
Space researchers have always wondered why the Sun'satmosphere or corona is so much hotter than its surface.
The main obstacle in answering the question is the lackof suitable instruments for measuring what occurs on theSun's surface and its atmosphere, 'Phys.org' reported.
The researchers, including those from Japan AerospaceExploration Agency, tested a theory that suggests heat isinjected into the atmosphere by multiple tiny explosions onthe surface of the Sun.
Such flares are too small to see with most observationalequipment, so the idea has remained just a theory.
However, the new data offers some evidence suggesting thetheory is correct.
To test the theory, the researchers looked at X-rayemissions from the corona and found some that were veryenergetic.
This is significant, because solar flares emit X-rays.
However, the team was studying a part of the Sun that had novisible solar flares occurring at the time.
The researchers suggest the only likely source issuperheated plasma that could only have occurred due tonanoflares. PTI SARSAR.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.