The U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory (NSF NSO) announced that researchers have achieved the first high-resolution detection of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) in the Sun’s photosphere. Until now, the phenomenon had existed only in theoretical models and computer simulations.

The international research team, which included scientists from the NSF National Solar Observatory, the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) High Altitude Observatory and Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, published the findings in the journal Nature.

The study combined observations from the four-meter Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope on Haleakalā, Maui, with advanced numerical simulations.

Tiny Solar Vortices Reveal Hidden Plasma Instability

Researchers observed previously unseen whirlpool-like structures forming along the edges of magnetic regions on the Sun’s surface.

According to the team, these vortices are the visible signature of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, a physical process that develops when adjacent layers of fluid or plasma move past one another at different speeds.

Although Kelvin-Helmholtz instability has been observed in Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, giant planetary atmospheres and interactions between the solar wind and planetary magnetic fields, it had never before been directly detected in the Sun’s photosphere.

Scientists said the unprecedented resolution of the Inouye Solar Telescope made it possible to identify the extremely small structures for the first time.

NSF National Solar Observatory Deputy Director David Boboltz described the discovery as a significant advance in understanding the dynamics of solar and stellar plasma.

Discovery Could Improve Understanding of Solar Eruptions

Researchers believe the newly detected instability may help explain how magnetic energy accumulates before being released during solar flares, coronal mass ejections and other forms of solar activity.

Magnetic energy generated within the Sun powers phenomena ranging from relatively small nanoflares to major eruptions capable of producing space weather that can disrupt satellites, GPS services, radio communications and electrical power systems on Earth.

Scientists have long proposed that magnetic field lines gradually twist together through a process known as flux braiding before reconnecting and releasing enormous amounts of energy.

The newly observed Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices may continuously twist magnetic field lines throughout active regions of the Sun, providing a previously missing mechanism that helps transport magnetic energy into the upper solar atmosphere.

NSF National Solar Observatory Senior Scientist Friedrich Wöger said researchers are only beginning to understand the broader implications of the discovery for magnetic plasma motion and energy transport.

Simulations Confirm Telescope Observations

To verify the findings, researchers compared telescope observations with advanced radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulations produced using the MURaM computational model.

The simulations reproduced dozens of vortex-like structures along magnetic boundaries that closely matched those observed by the telescope.

Both observations and simulations measured instability wavelengths averaging approximately 50 to 65 kilometers, providing strong evidence that the observed structures were indeed produced by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.

Researchers also found that the Sun’s constantly convecting surface naturally creates neighboring plasma layers moving at different speeds around concentrated magnetic fields, producing ideal conditions for the instability to develop.

High Altitude Observatory Senior Scientist Matthias Rempel said the observations also provide the highest-resolution validation of modern solar magnetohydrodynamic simulations to date.

Findings May Help Explain the Sun’s Superheated Corona

Beyond improving understanding of solar eruptions, researchers said the discovery could help answer one of astrophysics’ longest-standing questions: why the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, reaches temperatures of millions of degrees while the visible surface remains far cooler.

The study found that Kelvin-Helmholtz instability efficiently mixes magnetized and non-magnetized plasma, allowing magnetic energy to diffuse more effectively throughout the solar atmosphere.

Researchers said this process may contribute to transporting energy into higher atmospheric layers, helping heat the corona.

National Solar Observatory Chief Technologist Thomas Rimmele said the instability is likely one of the mechanisms responsible for the Sun’s extremely hot outer atmosphere.

The researchers also believe the discovery could improve understanding of the Sun’s approximately 11-year magnetic activity cycle.

Astronomer David Kuridze said Kelvin-Helmholtz instability may provide a previously missing source of magnetic diffusion needed to explain how solar magnetic fields evolve over time.

Telescope Opens New Window into Solar Physics

The research team plans to develop automated methods for identifying Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices across the expanding archive of high-resolution observations collected by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope.

Scientists hope the work will quantify how much energy these vortices transport into the Sun’s upper atmosphere and clarify their contribution to magnetic field evolution.

NSF Program Director Jacqueline Keane said understanding the small-scale processes occurring on the Sun is essential for improving knowledge of the space weather that affects Earth.

Researchers said the discovery highlights the capabilities of the four-meter Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, whose large primary mirror and advanced adaptive optics system enable observations that were previously impossible.

The team concluded that the findings open a new avenue for investigating how magnetic energy moves through the Sun and other stars while providing valuable observational evidence for testing theories of plasma physics and stellar magnetic activity.

This report is based on reporting by the U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory (NSF NSO).

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Published: September-23-2025, 17:30 EDT

A federal judge in California has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate $500 million in research grants previously frozen at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The decision follows months of disputes over allegations of civil rights violations, with the court finding that the government failed to follow required procedures in cutting federal support.

Court Finds Violation of Administrative Procedure Act

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin, based in San Francisco, issued the ruling on Monday, granting a preliminary injunction that restores hundreds of federal grants to UCLA.

Judge Lin determined that the government likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which requires detailed explanations and formal processes when altering federal funding decisions. Instead, UCLA received only generalized notices stating that multiple grants from various agencies were suspended, with no specific justifications provided.

“The form letters lacked the clarity and reasoning required under federal law,” Lin wrote, according to court filings.

UCLA Faced $584 Million in Suspended Grants

The dispute began in August, when UCLA announced that the Trump administration had suspended approximately $584 million in federal grants. Officials cited investigations into alleged civil rights violations involving antisemitism and affirmative action policies on campus.

The suspension impacted dozens of grants across scientific and medical fields, raising concerns about interruptions to critical research. UCLA leaders argued the cuts posed an immediate risk to projects addressing major public health challenges, including cancer treatments and neurological disorders.

Previous Court Rulings Already Restored Partial Funding

This latest ruling builds on an earlier decision in August, when Judge Lin ordered the National Science Foundation (NSF) to restore $81 million in grants. At the time, the court held that the agency had violated a prior injunction by terminating funding at the University of California system, which operates 10 campuses across the state.

The newly restored $500 million covers primarily National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, many of which support UCLA’s leading medical research initiatives. These projects include studies into Parkinson’s disease, cancer recovery therapies, and advanced nerve cell regeneration.

White House and Political Context

The White House has not yet issued an official response to Monday’s ruling. The Trump administration has frequently used federal funding to push for changes at elite universities, which the president has criticized for fostering liberal ideologies and failing to address campus antisemitism.

Beyond UCLA, the administration has also scrutinized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, arguing that some programs discriminate against white and Asian American students.

In similar disputes, Ivy League universities Columbia and Brown negotiated agreements to maintain federal funding, while Harvard challenged the funding freeze in court. Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled in Harvard’s favor, declaring that the freeze amounted to illegal retaliation against the institution.

Settlement Proposal Rejected

Court documents revealed that the Trump administration had proposed a $1 billion settlement to end its investigation into UCLA. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, condemned the proposal as an act of “extortion,” warning it would set a dangerous precedent for higher education governance.

UCLA officials also rejected the settlement, arguing that such a payment would devastate the university’s finances and compromise its ability to serve students and conduct groundbreaking research.

Broader Implications for Higher Education

The ruling represents a significant victory for UCLA and underscores the judiciary’s role in checking executive actions that affect academic institutions.

Legal experts note that the case could set precedent for how federal funding disputes tied to civil rights or political concerns are adjudicated in the future. Universities dependent on NIH and NSF grants for medical and scientific research may view this decision as a safeguard against politically motivated funding suspensions.

For UCLA, the restoration of funding ensures that ongoing research projects critical to public health and scientific innovation will continue without disruption.

Source: AP News – Judge orders Trump administration to restore $500 million in federal grant funding to UCLA

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