SwRI Study Reveals Complex Sun's Magnetic Engine

New data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe challenges current models of how magnetic reconnection powers the solar wind.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 1:10am

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A Southwest Research Institute-led study found that protons and heavy ions react differently to solar magnetic reconnection events, revealing a more complex magnetic engine powering the solar wind. While heavy ions shoot out straight like a laser beam, protons create waves that scatter subsequent particles in a dispersed pattern, more like a flashlight. This new data contradicts current models and rewrites the understanding of how magnetic reconnection energizes particles and generates high-speed flows, driving space weather events.

Why it matters

Magnetic reconnection is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the universe that powers the most violent and mysterious phenomena, from black holes to supernovae. Understanding how it works is critical for predicting hazardous space weather events and protecting life and technological assets on Earth and in space.

The details

The study, led by Southwest Research Institute's Dr. Mihir Desai, analyzed new data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe showing distinct differences in how protons and heavy ions are accelerated by magnetic reconnection near the Sun. While current models assume all particles react the same way, the new data reveals that heavy ions stay beam-like and retain their accelerated spectral shapes, while protons generate waves that scatter them more efficiently in a dispersed pattern.

  • The study was published on March 31, 2026.
  • Parker Solar Probe collects unique measurements as it flies through the Sun's corona three times a year.

The players

Southwest Research Institute

A nonprofit research and development organization that conducts innovative research and development for government and commercial clients.

Dr. Mihir Desai

The lead author of the study and a researcher at Southwest Research Institute.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe

A spacecraft developed as part of NASA's Living With a Star program that explores aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

The center that manages the Living With a Star program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

The organization that designed, built, and operates the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft and manages the mission for NASA.

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What they’re saying

“This new data rewrites our understanding of reconnection. Protons and heavy ions show distinct spectra that contradict current models. Protons generate waves that scatter them more efficiently, while the heavy ions stay beam-like and retain their accelerated spectral shapes.”

— Dr. Mihir Desai, Lead author of the study

“What we are learning is that the Sun's 'magnetic engine' is far more complex than we imagined. This is incredibly exciting because it demonstrates that our own star acts as a local, accessible laboratory for the same high-energy physics — like particle acceleration and magnetic snapping — that powers the most violent and mysterious phenomena in the universe, from black holes to supernovae.”

— Dr. Mihir Desai, Lead author of the study

What’s next

The findings from this study will help scientists develop more accurate models of how magnetic reconnection powers the solar wind and drives space weather events, which is critical for predicting and mitigating the impact on Earth and space-based technologies.

The takeaway

This study challenges our fundamental understanding of how magnetic reconnection, a ubiquitous process in the universe, accelerates particles and drives the Sun's 'magnetic engine.' By revealing the distinct behaviors of protons and heavy ions, it demonstrates the Sun's role as a natural laboratory for studying the high-energy physics behind the most extreme phenomena in the cosmos.