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The "exotic matter" is plasma. Since the entire atmosphere of the sun (the corona) is plasma the headline is about as relevant to the study as saying that scien
by SAI_Peregrinus 7y ago
The "exotic matter" is plasma. Since the entire atmosphere of the sun (the corona) is plasma the headline is about as relevant to the study as saying that scientists studying hydrology have found water.
- superkuh 7y agoYeah. It's exciting when you don't find plasma on the sun like in the chromosphere. Between the photosphere and corona there's a shift from thermal energy driving plasma motions to a domain where magnetic energy defines plasma motions. The chromosphere sits smack in the middle of it, a high energy gradient but sometimes there are actual molecules of gas found in the spectral lines. Like, not fully ionized, held together, relatively cool molecules. That's some exotic matter.
- ncmncm 7y agoAt least some people are willing to use the word, now. Until recently you would be ostracized by other astronomers for mentioning it. (Thus, "hot gas".)
- SAI_Peregrinus 7y agoAstronomers consider Nitrogen and Carbon to be metals. Their jargon is very particular to astronomy, and they seem to love using words in ways different from how the rest of the scientific community uses them.
- ncmncm 7y agoWhile that is true (anything not H or He is "metal") they have long had a sort of guild requirement that every phenomenon must be explained with nothing but heat and gravitation; if a magnetic field is invoved it has to be generated by a massive body. Anything that can't is not to be discussed, because plasma dynamics is too hard. The wall is starting to crack, though.