"Invisible shield" blocks high-speed electrons above Earth
Posted: Sun, Nov 30, 2014, 11:37 AM ET (1637 GMT)
Scientists said they have discovered a sharp feature in the Earth's magnetosphere that is blocking relativistic electrons from reaching the atmosphere. In a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Nature, scientists reported finding an "extremely sharp" boundary about 11,600 kilometers above the Earth where incoming electrons moving at close to the speed of light suddenly stopped. How that barrier is formed is unclear, although scientists speculate that it could be linked to low frequency electromagnetic waves created by the tenuous upper atmosphere that extends into the Van Allen belts. The discovery was made using data from NASA's Van Allen Probes mission.
Scientists said they have discovered a sharp feature in the Earth's magnetosphere that is blocking relativistic electrons from reaching the atmosphere. In a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Nature, scientists reported finding an "extremely sharp" boundary about 11,600 kilometers above the Earth where incoming electrons moving at close to the speed of light suddenly stopped. How that barrier is formed is unclear, although scientists speculate that it could be linked to low frequency electromagnetic waves created by the tenuous upper atmosphere that extends into the Van Allen belts. The discovery was made using data from NASA's Van Allen Probes mission.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, August 31
Houston, we have a problem. Who’s controlling space traffic?
Straight Arrow News — 4:12 am ET (0812 GMT) Winston Scott to Newsmax: Space Academy 'Well Needed'
NewsMax.com — 4:11 am ET (0811 GMT) What Is Trump’s U.S. Space Academy?
Time — 4:11 am ET (0811 GMT) NZ halves time to launch rockets in space goldrush
Radio New Zealand — 4:09 am ET (0809 GMT) 'A glorious dawn launch': NASA's newest space telescope has left the Earth
NPR — 4:06 am ET (0806 GMT) |
