In February 2022, NASA's Parker Solar Probe and the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter were aligned in their orbits, allowing them to measure the same solar wind stream at different distances from the Sun.

Data from both missions revealed that fluctuations in the Sun's magnetic field, particularly Alfvén waves, play a crucial role in accelerating and heating the solar wind.

Parker Solar Probe previously discovered that magnetic switchbacks, which are fluctuations in magnetic field lines, contribute to the acceleration and heating of the solar wind.

Recent measurements indicated that the fastest solar wind heats up after leaving the corona, although the exact mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain unclear.

Heliophysicist Sam Badman likened the process to creating waves in a wind tunnel, where energy from flapping hands mixes with the surrounding air.

Fast solar wind travels at speeds exceeding 500 km/s but exits the Sun's corona at lower speeds, suggesting an unknown acceleration mechanism is at play.

The findings from this research not only enhance understanding of solar phenomena but may also have implications for studying stellar winds in other Sun-like stars.

Yeimy Rivera, a co-leader of the study, emphasized that understanding these processes could have significant implications for the habitability of exoplanets.

This discovery sheds light on why the solar wind is hotter and faster than previously expected, as reported in a recent issue of Science.

Daniel Müller, ESA Project Scientist, noted that the combined data from these missions illustrates how various solar phenomena interact to shape the Sun's magnetic environment.

The collaboration between NASA and ESA has led to new insights into the energy transfer processes affecting the solar wind.

Future research will focus on further investigating the physics of energy transfer between Alfvén waves and the solar wind.