What are Picoflare Jets?

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Introduction

Researchers from the joint Solar Orbiter mission (ESA and NASA) have detected intermittent jets of charged particles in the sun’s outer atmosphere.

Picoflare Jets

Picoflare jets are high-speed charged particle emissions from the sun’s outer atmosphere.
The term “picoflare” is derived from the fact that these jets carry energy approximately equivalent to one trillionth of the sun’s largest flares.
‘Pico’ is an order of magnitude that denotes 10^-12, or one trillionth of a unit.
These jets emanate from coronal holes, relatively small regions in the sun’s corona.

Their Role in Solar Wind

Emerging research suggests that picoflare jets may serve as a significant source of mass and energy contributing to the solar wind.
The solar wind primarily consists of ionized gas, with ionized hydrogen being the predominant component.
Unlike Earth’s atmospheric circulation, which circulates around the planet, the solar wind is continuously ejected outward into interplanetary space.
This outward propagation creates a plasma bubble known as the heliosphere, which encompasses the planets in the solar system.

Coronal Holes

Coronal holes are dark regions in the sun’s outer atmosphere where magnetic field lines extend into space.
They appear dark due to lower temperature and density compared to the surrounding corona.
Coronal holes are primary sources of the solar wind, a high-speed stream of charged particles from the sun.
They vary in size and location over time, influencing space weather.
Their activity is linked to the 11-year solar cycle, with a more prominent presence during solar minimum.