Researchers from all over the United States have been trying to understand the physics behind space weather.
Despite sounding like a topic from a science fiction movie, space weather is actually very relevant to us.
The sun releases millions of tons of plasma gas into space, which are called solar winds. The solar winds can then react to the Earth's magnetic field, creating intense geomagnetic storms.
These storms can cause disruptions in communications services and damages to satellites. The storms can also lead to entire power grids shutting down.
Researchers think that if the geomagnetic storms caused by the solar winds can be predicted in a way that is both precise and timely, then measures can be developed to cope with the effects of such geomagnetic storms after causing havoc on Earth.
At the American Physical Society's Division of Plasma Physics in New Orleans, a new study will be presented focusing on such predictions. The study involves several experiments, which have led to important findings regarding the topic.
The experiments, which were carried out in the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, showed how particles of the solar winds are driven to accelerate to extreme energy through the process of magnetic reconnection, a phenomenon that occurs within solar flares.
According to the researchers, magnetic reconnection is able to convert half of the magnetic energy in the solar winds. One-third of the converted energy heats the electrons within the winds and the remaining two-thirds accelerate the ions within the plasma.
The experiments also revealed the interaction between the solar winds and the Earth's magnetic fields, especially with the field that serves as the Earth's layer of protection.
Michael Brown and David Schaffner, researchers from Swarthmore College, used a tool resembling a wind tunnel for the simulation of the magnetic turbulence that occurs within solar winds.
Another study by scientists coming UCLA, meanwhile, observed and recorded interactions made by plasma magnetic waves. Using the Large Plasma Device, the researchers carried out satellite measurements that contributed to understanding the behavior of the hot plasma contained within the solar winds.
In Columbia University, scientists added to the knowledge on solar winds through an experiment involving a chamber filled with magnetic fields and plasma. The chamber was made to act like the magnetosphere of the Earth, allowing the researchers to analyze the connection between the currents in the ionosphere and the space weather surrounding the planet.
As more experiments on solar winds are carried out successfully, scientists come closer to understanding space weather to figure out how best to protect the Earth from its ill effects.
