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60 years in the making: NASA confirms hypothesis on Earth's global electric field

Scientists previously theorized the global electric field should begin at around 150 miles (250 kilometers) altitude. (Image source: NASA/Conceptual Image Lab/Wes Buchanan/Krystofer Kim)
Scientists previously theorized the global electric field should begin at around 150 miles (250 kilometers) altitude. (Image source: NASA/Conceptual Image Lab/Wes Buchanan/Krystofer Kim)
NASA's recent rocket launch confirmed the existence of a global electric field around Earth, a key factor in space weather and atmospheric dynamics. This field, driven by the interaction between solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere, affects radio comms, GPS, and satellite operations.

NASA has confirmed the existence of a global electric field around Earth, achieved through a recent rocket launch. This is a big deal, since this is the first direct measurement of a phenomenon which has been long theorized but has never been observed before.

Since the late 1960s, spacecraft have detected a stream of particles, called the “polar wind,” escaping Earth's atmosphere at supersonic speeds. Despite expectations that intense sunlight would cause some outflow, the cold, unheated particles have confused scientists. Suspecting an undiscovered electric field as the cause for the same, NASA's Glyn Collinson and his team began developing an instrument in 2016 to measure this ambipolar field, previously undetectable with existing technology. For reference, an ambipolar field is an electric field that affects both positively and negatively charged particles (ions and electrons) in a plasma, causing them to move together as a group rather than separating.

The mission involved launching a specialized sounding rocket from the Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard (Norway). The rocket was equipped with sensitive instruments designed to measure electric fields in Earth's upper atmosphere. As the rocket ascended to its target altitude, it captured precise data on the global electric field, which is generated by the interaction between the solar wind—a continuous stream of charged particles from the Sun—and Earth's magnetosphere.

This electric field plays a crucial role in the behavior of charged particles in the ionosphere, a region of Earth's atmosphere that affects radio communication, GPS, and satellite operations. Fluctuations in the electric field can disrupt these systems, particularly during solar storms. Its discovery will improve our space weather predictions, improve our understanding of atmospheric dynamics, and hopefully help protect satellites from intense solar storms. It also advances plasma physics and atmospheric escape mechanisms on Earth and other planets.

The launch of the Endurance rocket ship from Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard (Norway) occurred on May 11, 2022. (Image source: Andøya Space/Leif Jonny Eilertsen)
The launch of the Endurance rocket ship from Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard (Norway) occurred on May 11, 2022. (Image source: Andøya Space/Leif Jonny Eilertsen)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 08 > 60 years in the making: NASA confirms hypothesis on Earth's global electric field
Anubhav Sharma, 2024-08-31 (Update: 2024-08-31)