PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Scientists propose new formation mechanism for solar coronal rain

Scientists propose new formation mechanism for solar coronal rain
2021-04-22
(Press-News.org) Rain is a common phenomenon on Earth. There is a similar phenomenon on the Sun, called coronal rain. It is related to the coronal heating and magnetic field, and plays a fundamental role in the mass cycle between the hot, tenuous corona and the cool, dense chromosphere. Coronal rain usually takes place in post-flare loops and the non-flaring active region coronal loops. It is generally classified into two categories: flare-driven and quiescent coronal rain, depending on its relation to the flare. Both kinds of coronal rain form along structures that are magnetically closed. Recently, a research team led by Dr. LI Leping from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) found a new type of coronal rain forming along open magnetic structures, away from the magnetically closed region. A series of studies has been issued since 2018, among which the latest paper was published in The Astrophysical Journal on April 1. The researchers proposed a new formation mechanism for coronal rain along open magnetic structures facilitated by interchange magnetic reconnection between open and closed magnetic structures. In this formation mechanism, the higher-lying open structures reconnect with the lower-lying closed loops, forming a magnetic dip in the former. The plasma, surrounding the dip, converges into the dip, resulting in the enhancement of plasma density in the dip. The density enhancement triggers thermal instability. Cooling and condensation of hot coronal plasma in the dip thus occurs. The cool condensation falls toward the solar surface as coronal rain. No flare was detected during the reconnection and condensation process. The new type of coronal rain thus belongs to the category of quiescent coronal rain. "The quiescent coronal rain forming along the open structures is quite different from the flare-driven coronal rain in post-flare loops and the quiescent coronal rain in non-flaring active region loops that occur in the closed loops," said Dr. LI Leping, the first author of the series of studies. All the reconnection and condensation events investigated before took place above the limb. "Whether the condensation facilitated by reconnection can still be observed on the disk, and how it performs, are open questions," said Prof. Hardi Peter from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), a co-author of the series of studies. The researchers found that the reconnection condensation events from September 2010 - September 2011, observed above the eastern (western) limb of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO A (B)), occurred on the disk of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). "The event presented is important for understanding the global picture of condensation formation in the solar atmosphere and the combined observations bring a very interesting means to analyze this type of coronal condensation events," the reviewer of the paper commented. Above the limb, the bright condensations and the subsequent coronal rain, facilitated by reconnection between open and closed structures, were clearly detected. However, on the disk, the reconnection structures were difficult to observe. Moreover, dark condensations appeared and moved to the surface as on-disk coronal rain. "If only the on-disk observations are available, the relation between the condensations and reconnection, shown clearly by the off-limb observations, could not be identified," said Dr. LI. "We propose that some on-disk condensation events seen in the transition region and chromospheric lines could be facilitated by interchange reconnection."

INFORMATION:


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Scientists propose new formation mechanism for solar coronal rain

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Mars' changing habitability recorded by ancient dune fields in Gale crater

2021-04-22
Understanding whether Mars was once able to support life has been a major driving force for Mars research over the past 50 years. To decipher the planet's ancient climate and habitability, researchers look to the rock record - a physical record of ancient surface processes which reflect the environment and the prevailing climate at the time the rocks were deposited. In a new paper published in JGR: Planets, researchers on the NASA-JPL Mars Science Laboratory mission used the Curiosity rover to add another piece to the puzzle of Mars' ancient past by investigating a unit of rocks within Gale crater. They found evidence of an ancient dune field preserved as a layer of rocks in Gale crater, which overlies rock layers that were deposited in a large lake. The rock ...

Adversity in early life linked to higher risk of mental health problems

2021-04-22
Thursday, 22 April 2021 - New research has found that childhood adversity, such as parental conflict, death of a close family member or serious injury, before the age of nine was associated with mental health problems in late adolescence. However, the research also shows that improving the relationship between parents and children could prevent subsequent mental health problems, even in children who have experienced severe adversities. The research also indicated that improving a child's self-esteem and increasing their levels of physical activity can help to reduce the risk of developing mental health problems. The study, led by researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is recently published in END ...

Nanofiltration membranes to treat industrial wastewater from heavy metals

2021-04-22
NUST MISIS scientists together with Indian colleagues from Jain University and Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College presented innovative membranes for the complete removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. The special nanostructure of zinc-modified aluminum oxide made it possible to remove arsenic and lead from water with an efficiency of 87% and 98%, respectively. The results of the work were published in the Chemosphere journal. Industrialization is the main cause of water pollution due to the ingress of industrial waste. In particular, heavy metals -- arsenic, lead and cadmium -- can cause metabolic disorders and multiple critical effects to the body, ...

Properties of chromium tribromide show path to innovative electronic devices

Properties of chromium tribromide show path to innovative electronic devices
2021-04-22
Two-dimensional (2D) materials with a single-layer thickness retaining magnetic order in atomically thin limit began to increase their scientific and technological significance after the successful synthesis of graphene and later investigations of van der Waals materials. CrBr3 has been known since the 60s as a van der Waals ferromagnet. Hansen, Tsubokawa, and Dillon have pioneered the work on magnetism in this compound. However, it has only recently been established that CrBr3 exhibits ferromagnetism when exfoliating to several layers and monolayers while ...

IU researchers tackled the challenges of conducting intrastate policy surveillance

IU researchers tackled the challenges of conducting intrastate policy surveillance
2021-04-22
The design, interpretation, and enforcement of county and municipal laws significantly affect local public health. But accessing those laws can be difficult. A study by Indiana University researchers found that unlike Indiana state laws, which are collected, catalogued by topic, and kept regularly updated in centralized, publicly available electronic databases, laws in about half of all Indiana counties were not online, or if they were online, they weren't necessarily up to date. This means that in Indiana, there is no comprehensive, up-to-date central source that can be used to study how different local governments respond to similar health-related ...

Mutations can reduce effect of hormonal treatment in early breast cancer

2021-04-22
A small proportion of women who receive anti-estrogen treatment after breast cancer surgery have worse outcomes. This is associated with mutations in the estrogen receptor gene, according to a study from Lund University now published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum. "If our results are confirmed in further studies, it would be relevant to screen for these resistance mutations already at diagnosis, and then consider other treatment options that could work better for patients with mutated tumors," says Lao Saal, who led the study, the largest of its kind on resistance mutations in the estrogen receptor in primary breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common ...

Inspired by nature, the research to develop a new load-bearing material

Inspired by nature, the research to develop a new load-bearing material
2021-04-22
Inspired by nature, the researchers developing a new load-bearing material Engineers have developed a new material that mimics human cartilage - the body's shock absorbing and lubrication system, and it could herald the development of a new generation of lightweight bearings. Cartilage is a soft fibrous tissue found around joints which provides protection from the compressive loading generated by walking, running or lifting. It also provides a protective, lubricating layer allowing bones to pass over one another in a frictionless way. For years, scientists have been trying to create a synthetic material with the properties of cartilage. ...

Updated results on coronavirus vaccination effectiveness

2021-04-22
Several weeks following the publication of the large real-world Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness study by the Clalit Research Institute in Collaboration with Harvard University in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), additional results focusing on vaccine effectiveness in specific sub-populations have now been published. While the original publication demonstrated the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine in the general population, outstanding questions remained regarding vaccine effectiveness in specific sub-populations of interest, including the elderly, multi-morbid ...

Researchers design micro-sized capsules for targeted drug delivery -- inspired by Russian pelmeni

2021-04-22
An international team led by a Skoltech researcher has developed a method of fabrication for biodegradable polymer microcapsules, made more efficient by turning to an unusual source of inspiration - traditional Russian dumpling, or pelmeni, making. The two papers were published in Materials and Design and ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. Micro-sized capsules, which can be tailored to a variety of purposes, have proven very useful in targeted delivery of drugs and other bioactive compounds. To ensure optimal functioning, these have to be designed and manufactured with precision and in particular shapes, as non-spherical capsules turned out to be more efficient and effective than spherical ones. "Non-spherical capsules could have side directed release ...

Romantic relationships mitigate effects of trauma on alcohol use among college students

2021-04-22
Students who have been exposed to interpersonal trauma —  physical assault, sexual assault or unwanted sexual experiences — prior to college are more likely to engage in risky alcohol use. But romantic relationships mitigate these effects of trauma on a student’s drinking behavior, according to a new study led by Virginia Commonwealth University researchers. The study investigates whether romantic relationships might play a role in mitigating or exacerbating the effects of trauma exposure on alcohol use among college students. It found that students who experienced interpersonal trauma during college consumed more alcohol than those without interpersonal trauma exposure, and that their drinking was more pronounced for those in a relationship with a partner with ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

Unintentional drug overdoses take a toll across the U.S. unequally, study finds

A step toward plant-based gelatin

ECMWF unveils groundbreaking ML tool for enhanced fire prediction

[Press-News.org] Scientists propose new formation mechanism for solar coronal rain