New gravity model reveals hidden forces shaping the Sun's inner waves

A new study from Tezpur University (TU) has uncovered fresh insights into how gravity behaves inside the Sun. For decades, scientists relied on Newton's theory to explain the movement of plasma waves that keep the Sun stable. Now, researchers have shown that a different gravitational model could change our understanding of solar dynamics in unexpected ways.

The research, titled 'Stability and Wave Dynamics in Polytropic Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) Gravitating Solar Plasmas,' was led by four scientists: Pralay Kumar Karmakar, Souvik Das, Arnab Sarkar, and Umananda Dev Goswami. Their work explores how an alternative gravity theory—Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) gravity—alters the behaviour of waves deep within the Sun.

Under extreme temperatures and densities, the team found that EiBI gravity can boost wave speeds and energy transport by up to 55 percent. Even minor shifts from traditional gravity models produced noticeable changes in solar oscillations. The study combined complex mathematical simulations with four years of helioseismic data collected by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

The findings suggest that the Sun's internal waves, which help maintain its stability, may operate differently than previously assumed. This challenges long-held assumptions based on Newtonian physics.

The research has been accepted for publication in Physical Review E by the American Physical Society. By demonstrating how modified gravity affects solar waves, the study opens new avenues for understanding the Sun's inner workings. Future observations and models may now need to account for these variations in gravitational behaviour.