Quantum micro-solitons – a clue to solve the fundamental problems of solar physics?

Abstract

We outline a very intriguing analogy between stable macrostructures seen on the Sun and microsolitons of a quantum nature exhibited by ferromagnetic and superconducting substances. The solar convective zone is shown to be not only highly conductive but also strongly diamagnetic, bearing thus a strong ressemblance to the fundamental properties of superconductors; the sunspots, whose site the convective zone is, are then simply viewed as macro-analogues of the quantum Abrikosov vortices in the type II superconductor(s). Another stable structures of the solar atmosphere, quiescent prominences, can be regarded as counterparts of the Bloch walls in ferromagnetic substances. Guided by symmetry principles we predict the existence of still other type of macrosolitons — which we will call ‘unipoles’ — located well inside the Sun whose quantum counterparts are the magnetic monopoles of 't Hooft and Polyakov. It is shown in an explicit way that it is the concept of the Higgs field (or order parameter) which, when applied on solar phenomena, seems to lead to a deeper insight into the physics of latters than it is possible to gain with the help of classical MHD theories only.