UC study shows that applying AI to solar physics helps us understand the complex processes that occur in the Sun's atmosphere
Artificial Intelligence can play a major role in solar physics, by optimising processes.
English version: Diana Taborda
A study by Ricardo Gafeira, a researcher at the Physics Department of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC) and the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Science, shows that the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques in Solar Physics will help improve our understanding of the complex physical processes of the atmosphere of the Sun.
The research, available in the article "Machine learning in solar physics”, published in the journal "Living Reviews in Solar Physics," claims that AI can play a major role in solar physics, by optimising calculations, identifying patterns and solar structures in images, reducing time spent in data analysis, and predicting solar events more effectively, among others.
"We can now use these new machine learning techniques to analyse large amounts of data from solar observations, both from telescopes and from satellites that constantly monitor our parent star," says Ricardo Gafeira.
According to the researcher, the application of these techniques will deepen our knowledge of the fundamental physical processes taking place in the solar atmosphere and how their activity changes over time, as well as improve our understanding of explosive events such as solar flares, which can have a huge impact on the Earth's environment. Being able to predict the occurrence of these very damaging events is crucial for the resilience of our increasingly technological society.