Scientists Discover Hidden Solar Process, Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability, on Sun's Surface

An international team of scientists has announced the discovery of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) in the form of small, swirling, whirlpool-like patterns on the surface of the Sun. This research, utilizing the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope and high-resolution computer simulations, suggests that KHI may be a key factor in heating the Sun's outer atmosphere and in the buildup and movement of magnetic energy that fuels solar flares and eruptions. The findings provide the first experimental confirmation of a phenomenon long predicted by theory.