Spanish instrument reveals how magnetic structures in the Sun are born and evolve
Thursday, July 3, 2014 - 07:01
in Astronomy & Space
The IMaX magnetograph, an instrument entirely developed in Spain, has revealed how flux tubes are formed and evolve in the Sun. These tubes are considered to be the building blocks of solar magnetism but their existence had only heretofore been demonstrated indirectly due to their small size. The incomparably high resolution yielded by the SUNRISE mission has for the first time made it possible to follow one of them, and it turned out to be different from what had been suggested until now.