由美国国家科学基金会国家太阳天文台、德国马克斯·普朗克太阳系研究所和美国高海拔天文台组成的研究团队，利用NSF丹尼尔·K·伊诺耶太阳望远镜和计算机模拟，首次观测到太阳表面的微小等离子体涡旋[1]。这些涡旋宽仅约20公里，出现在太阳颗粒边界处，由开尔文-亥姆霍兹不稳定性产生[1]。
研究人员指出，这一发现具有重要意义。参与项目的科研人员Michiel van Noort表示，"要检测到涡旋，我们需要分辨太阳表面约20公里大小的结构。这已经达到了世界最大太阳望远镜和最先进模拟的极限"[1]。研究员Sami K. Solanki认为，"新发现的等离子体涡旋令人印象深刻地表明，极微小的过程在我们能用所有可用技术分辨的极限处显著决定了我们恒星的性质"[1]。
这些微小涡旋可能有助于解释太阳如何扭曲、运输和释放磁能，包括通过纳焰释放能量[1]。相比之下，太阳的主要颗粒通常宽500至2000公里[1]。研究结果已发表在《自然》期刊2026年版[1]。
Researchers have identified miniature plasma vortices covering the sun's surface for the first time, using the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope and computer simulations [1]. These whirlpools measure only about 20 kilometers across and appear at the boundaries between solar granules [1]. According to Michiel van Noort, detecting such structures requires resolving features of approximately 20 kilometers in size on the solar surface, pushing capabilities to the limit of the world's largest solar telescope and most advanced simulations [1].
The discovery was made through a collaborative effort involving the National Solar Observatory, Germany's Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, and the US High Altitude Observatory [1]. The vortices are generated by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and may help explain how the sun manipulates, transports, and releases magnetic energy, including through nanoflares [1]. Sami K. Solanki remarked that the newly discovered plasma vortices impressively demonstrate how extremely small-scale processes at the detection limits of available technology significantly influence the character of the star [1].
The findings were published in Nature in 2026 [1]. Solar granules typically measure between 500 and 2,000 kilometers across [1]. The sun's magnetic activity operates on an approximately 11-year cycle [1].