Data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe has revealed anomalous structures resembling shark heads in the distribution of solar wind protons. This discovery, dubbed "hammerhead" in scientific circles, was accidentally found during data calibration in 2020. Scientists were intrigued by the appearance of elongated asymmetric shapes in the graphs instead of the usual smooth distribution of particles. As reported by Ixbt.com, reports .
Researchers from the SWEAP (Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons) project analyzed nearly 3.7 million measurements, isolating 173,000 such structures using a special algorithm. It turns out these "proton sharks" are groups of high-energy protons with a clearly directed (anisotropic) velocity structure, moving faster than the surrounding plasma flow. These particles do not move uniformly in all directions but rather in specific energy "bundles."
Such structures often form near the heliospheric current sheet, where the Sun's magnetic field changes direction. During periods of increased solar activity, this layer takes on a complex shape, and Parker Solar Probe records these "shark-shaped" proton populations when passing through these regions. Researchers note that these structures are not just markers of magnetic boundaries, but sources of excess energy.
This energy can convert into electromagnetic waves and subsequently into heat. This may explain one of heliophysics' greatest puzzles: why the solar wind is much hotter than standard models predict. Similar processes have been observed in Earth's magnetosphere, demonstrating the universality of magnetic reconnection processes in plasma environments.
The authors believe that systematically mapping these structures will allow for the observation of the geometry of the Sun's invisible magnetic boundaries. Furthermore, this discovery helps understand why the Sun's outer atmosphere—the corona—and the solar wind flow maintain such anomalously high temperatures.
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