Magnetic Trees help researchers unearth hidden flow in the Sun’s upper atmosphere

Researchers from ARIES, PRL, IIT‑Delhi, IIST and NASA‑Goddard have shown that the Sun’s meridional plasma flow, previously observed only in lower atmospheric layers, extends up to about 3,000 km into the upper chromosphere. Analyzing 27 years of Nobeyama Radioheliograph data with a novel image‑correlation technique, they mapped pole‑ward motions of 5‑15 m s⁻¹ and found the flow to vary with the solar cycle. The bright radio features tracked move in step with the Sun’s magnetic field, providing the first observational support for the “magnetic‑tree” hypothesis that links upper‑atmosphere structures to deeper magnetic roots. The findings enhance understanding of solar dynamics that drive space‑weather events affecting satellites, communications and power grids.