A researcher at the University of Alabama in Huntsville has published a study in The Astrophysical Journal proposing that tiny electrically charged dust grains close to the Sun could significantly affect how energy moves through the solar corona.
The Sun's visible surface, or photosphere, has a temperature of about 5,500 °C, while the outer atmosphere, the corona, reaches several million degrees. This stark temperature difference has puzzled scientists for decades.
The paper argues that nanoscale dust particles, charged by solar radiation, can interact with magnetic fields and plasma waves in the corona. Such interactions could channel energy outward, providing a viable heating mechanism.
If confirmed, the idea would reshape models of coronal heating and solar wind generation. Future observations from spacecraft like Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter will be essential to detect and characterize these dust populations near the Sun.