Parker Solar Probe data show Sun's magnetic fields reverse rotation at small scales

The short version

• ScienceDaily reports that researchers using NASA Parker Solar Probe observations identified a reversal in turbulent magnetic field rotation.[ScienceDaily]
• At larger scales, fields tend to rotate counterclockwise viewed outward from the Sun, while smaller scales favor clockwise rotation.[ScienceDaily]
• The study was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, and its authors call the findings significant for plasma physics and astrophysics.[ScienceDaily]

Key facts

• Researchers from TU Braunschweig, the University of Tokyo, Tohoku University, Kyushu University, Osaka University and other institutions identified the phenomenon using Parker Solar Probe observations.[ScienceDaily]
• Turbulent magnetic fields reverse their direction of rotation when examined at extremely small scales.[ScienceDaily]
• At larger scales, magnetic fields tend to rotate counterclockwise when viewed outward from the Sun, while at much smaller scales the preferred rotation switches to clockwise.[ScienceDaily]
• The reversal occurs where plasma stops behaving primarily like a fluid and begins following the behavior of individual particles.[ScienceDaily]
• The discovery was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.[ScienceDaily]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• NASA’s Parker Solar Probe discovers a hidden pattern in the Sun’s chaotic magnetic fieldsScienceDaily - Science