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Open research questions in Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics

231 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 674 Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Models struggle to reproduce the size of the heliosphere, and locations of the heliospheric boundaries depend on the plasma flow and energy transport in the heliosphere. The paper identifies the need for models to incorporate magnetic reconnection in the heliosheath.

    Dynamics of the Upwind Heliosphere Due to Data-driven Solar Wind and Magnetic Field Variations and Implications for Wave Propagation into the Very Local Interstellar Medium · 2026 · DOI

  • further study of the radiation implications of extreme solar energetic particle events, - development of more accurate models for estimating radiation doses, - investigation of the effects of extreme SEP events on astronauts and aviation

    Radiation doses during extreme solar energetic particle events · 2026 · DOI

  • Deriving accurate doses for events in the distant past is complicated by limited information on the SEP spectrum and geomagnetic field. There are uncertainties in the event amplitudes. Cosmogenic radionuclide events are not included in radiation risk assessments for astronauts.

    Radiation doses during extreme solar energetic particle events · 2026 · DOI

  • Developing new models capable of simulating the acceleration of high fluxes of energetic particles by the Sun, - Improving the detection methods for superflares and ESPEs, - Constructing stellar samples that are representative analogues of the Sun

    Linking solar magnetism, extreme solar particle events and stellar superflares · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a gap between extreme solar particle events and directly detected SEP events. The high detection threshold of the cosmogenic-isotope method and the absence of extreme events during the past decades contribute to this gap.

    Linking solar magnetism, extreme solar particle events and stellar superflares · 2026 · DOI

  • The uncertainty whether the Sun can reach flare energies exceeding 10^34 erg. The lack of empirical constraints on the upper limits of solar flare energies.

    Empirical flare energy limits for the largest historical sunspots · 2026 · DOI

  • The quality of the historical diagrams and tables varied, making digitization challenging. The lack of standardized data and the limited geographical coverage of the existing data made analysis and interpretation difficult. The potential lack of barometric pressure corrections in the original measurements introduced additional uncertainty.

    The first four ground-level enhancements in the 1940s: investigation, digitization and analysis of forgotten data · 2026 · DOI

  • The majority of the records analysed reflect a percentage increase in relation to the background GCR levels, but the specific baseline measurements employed are inadequately documented. The application of barometric pressure corrections in the original measurements is unclear. The digitisation error for the data given as relative increases in the units of % is estimated as ±(0.1 -0.3) percentage points.

    The first four ground-level enhancements in the 1940s: investigation, digitization and analysis of forgotten data · 2026 · DOI

  • further investigation into the physical determinants of CH lifetime, - application of machine learning-based CH detection algorithms to other solar phenomena, - analysis of CH properties using higher temporal resolution datasets

    Statistical Analysis of Coronal Hole Spatiotemporal Evolution, Kinematics, and Lifetimes over 1.5 Solar Cycles · 2026 · DOI

  • The long-term statistical properties of coronal holes remain insufficiently constrained. Prior methods for coronal hole identification have limitations, such as inconsistencies and manual biases. There is a need for a robust statistical foundation for understanding large-scale coronal hole evolution and improving space weather forecasting.

    Statistical Analysis of Coronal Hole Spatiotemporal Evolution, Kinematics, and Lifetimes over 1.5 Solar Cycles · 2026 · DOI

  • further study of the relationship between hemispheric asymmetry and the solar dynamo, - examination of the role of magneto-Rossby waves in the solar interior, - investigation of the connection between intermediate-timescale dynamo variability and the hemispheric organization of solar activity

    Hemispheric Asymmetry of Solar Active Regions Arises from a Nested Population · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in understanding the causes of hemispheric asymmetry of solar active regions. It notes that previous studies have described longitudinal concentrations of activity, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The study aims to address this gap by investigating the longitude-time distribution of AR emergence and the temporal evolution of hemispheric activity.

    Hemispheric Asymmetry of Solar Active Regions Arises from a Nested Population · 2026 · DOI

  • The UV burst was not completely covered by the IRIS raster, - The study is limited to a single active region, - The observations are limited to a specific time period

    Evidence for plasmoid formation related to a hot UV burst in the solar atmosphere · 2026 · DOI

  • Further study of the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of spectral profiles in the UV burst, - Investigation of the relationship between magnetic reconnection and the formation of plasmoids, - Analysis of the role of flux emergence in the formation of UV bursts

    Evidence for plasmoid formation related to a hot UV burst in the solar atmosphere · 2026 · DOI

  • Incorporating magnetic reconnection in the heliosheath. Improving the model to separate pickup ions from the thermal solar wind.

    Dynamics of the Upwind Heliosphere Due to Data-driven Solar Wind and Magnetic Field Variations and Implications for Wave Propagation into the Very Local Interstellar Medium · 2026 · DOI

  • further study of the largest historical sunspot groups - investigation of the empirical scaling between ribbon areas and flare energies

    Empirical flare energy limits for the largest historical sunspots · 2026 · DOI

  • While previous studies have explored how localised steady or stochastic heating can trigger thermal instability and condensations, the role of wave driven energy transport and dissipation has not been extensively investigated.

    A Self-consistent Model for the Generation of Coronal Condensations: The Effects of Turbulent Wave Dissipation · 2026

  • Abstract Side bileaders are commonly induced near a progressing positive leader, yet their effects on the parent positive leader remain poorly understood.

    Effects of Side Bileaders on Parent Positive Leader · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the physical origin of the FIP fractionation remains incompletely understood.

    Elemental Composition Evolution during the 2024 September 30 Solar Eruption: A Comparison of Hot and Cool Plasma Components with Solar Orbiter/SPICE, Hinode/EIS, and Chandrayaan-2/XSM · 2026 · DOI

  • The limit of complete frequency redistribution (CRD) is commonly used to model the line signals, but its validity and impact on the magnetic sensitivity of this line have not yet been systematically investigated.

    Validity of the complete frequency redistribution limit for modeling scattering polarization in the photospheric Sr I 4607 Å line · 2026 · DOI

  • Studies of space climate and solar magnetic activity and studies of stellar dynamos and magnetic cycles are separated by discipline and by the quality of the data we have to work with: the Sun gives us detailed knowledge of a single star, while the stars give us comparatively sparse data across a range of (sometimes poorly known) masses and ages.

    The "Other" Centuries-Long Record of Solar Magnetic Activity Cycles: Lessons From the Stars · 2026 · DOI

  • Moreover, even if AC heating prevails, several wave dissipation mechanisms have been proposed, which of them dominates remains unclear because its efficiency depends on plasma compressibility and density inhomogeneity.

    A Self-consistent Solar Coronal Heating Model by Alfvénic Waves · 2026 · DOI

  • While the standard flare model has proven highly successful in explaining key morphological features of flare observations, many aspects of the energy release are not yet understood.

    Determining the 3D Dynamics of Solar Flare Magnetic Reconnection · 2025 · DOI

  • However, it remains unclear how the initiation process varies when a filament is present in the pre-eruptive flux rope.

    Initiation Route of Coronal Mass Ejections. II. The Role of Filament Mass · 2025 · DOI

  • More than a century of research on solar filaments suggests that the slow evolution of photospheric magnetic fields plays a decisive role in initiating filament eruptions, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

    Minifilament Eruptions as the Last Straw to Break the Equilibrium of a Giant Solar Filament · 2025 · DOI

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231 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 674 Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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