The math equations governing the plasma in stars can theoretically "blow up" and break down instantly.
April 14, 2026
Original Paper
Instantaneous blowup and non-uniqueness of smooth solutions of MHD
arXiv · 2604.08684
The Takeaway
It proves that smooth, predictable fluids and magnetic fields can suddenly become mathematically impossible to calculate at a critical point. This challenges the foundational assumption that physical systems like fusion reactors or solar flares will always remain stable and predictable.
From the abstract
We construct a family of solutions $(u,B)$ of the incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) system, the $L^\infty$ norm of which blows up instantaneously at the critical rate. The solutions remain smooth except at the blowup time. An inverse energy cascade mechanism and a convex integration scheme along a time sequence are the main ingredients of the construction, inspired by our recent work [CDP25] for the Navier-Stokes equations. The challenge of the construction for the MHD system stems from t