Antimatter Particles Detected Erupting From Solar Flares
2013 Solar Flare This image shows a mid-size solar flare that peaked May 3, 2013. It's been colorized teal. NASA/SDO/AIA Some weird stuff up there In the surge of energy of solar flares, physicists have now detected antimatter particles streaming away from the sun. Researchers already knew that the reactions that fuel the sun create antimatter particles called positrons, among other particles. However, this is the first time the sun's positrons have been detected in this way, according to the New Jersey Institute of Technology. The lead scientist in the discovery, Gregory Fleishman, is a professor at the institute. Fleishman and his colleagues' new measurements could help scientists better understand solar flares and the basic structure of matter. The techniques they worked out could also make it easier for other scientists to detect positrons coming from other objects in space. In a summary of their research, Fleishman and his colleagues sounded optimistic, saying...