© Southwest Research Institute, CC BY 2.0
Artist’s conception of the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft investigating magnetic reconnection at the boundary of Earth’s magnetosphere.
Artist’s conception of the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft investigating magnetic reconnection at the boundary of Earth’s magnetosphere.
The solar wind-a constant stream of charged particles (plasma) emitted from the Sun-collides with Earth's magnetic field, like water flowing around a rock in a river. The collision of the two magnetic fields produces a phenomenon known as magnetic reconnection, in which the field lines of both the planet and its star snap together following the perturbation. The process releases jets of high-energy plasma, which can produce auroras and disrupt communication systems when they collide with Earth's magnetic field.
Scientists believe that plasma from the magnetosheath-the magnetically weak layer of the magnetosphere where Earth's field contacts the outflowing solar wind-is the dominant driver of magnetic reconnection. However, a new publication by Li et al. shows that "cold" plasma from the planet's ionosphere may play a larger role than previously thought.
Comment: According to Russian scientists the moon is a potential source of energy: it contains large reserves of helium 3, a sought-after isotope that may be the key to a new way of generating power.
See also: