Scientists Found the Physics of Space Weather

Scientists in the United States have been trying to uncover the physics of space weather.

Space weather is a phenomenon that should be of note to every human being alive. The sun hurls millions of tons of plasma gas into space. It then bombards the magnetic field surround Earth, causing powerful geomantic storms that can disrupt cell service, damage satellite or completely blackout power grids. Scientists believe that if space weather could be predicted, we could cope with geomagnetic storms better.

Scientists at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory show how magnetic reconnection accelerates the solar wind to high energy, and how the subsequent solar wind interacts with the solar wind surrounding the Earth. Magnetic reconnection is an explosive phenomenon that occurs in solar flares. Meanwhile, Swarthmore College professor Michael Brown used a plasma “wind tunnel” to simulate signatures of magnetic turbulence in the solar wind.

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have recorded observations of how plasma magnetic waves interact with each other. Satellite measurements indicate that the observed interactions could explain the behavior of the hot plasma. These studies on physical processes were conducted to understand what happens in the space.

A major milestone in space weather research

Magnetic reconnection creates huge bursts of plasma from the sun. But until now, scientists had not been able to figure out how reconnection converts magnetic energy into the explosive particle energy. Researchers at the Plasma Physics Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy have offered new insights into space weather.

In a Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX) study, they were able to identify how the transformation from magnetic energy to particle energy takes place. What’s more, they also experimentally measured the amount of magnetic energy that gets converted into explosive particle energy. Researchers said that the reconnection converts about 50% of magnetic energy. One-third of the conversion heats the electrons and the remaining two-thirds accelerate the ions in the plasma.

Masaaki Yamada, lead investigator for the MRX, said it was a major milestone in the space weather research.

Agencies/Canadajournal