Whether it's a giant solar flare or a beautiful green-blue aurora, just about everything interesting in space weather happens due to a phenomenon called magnetic reconnection. Reconnection occurs when magnetic field lines ...
Space Exploration
Apr 29, 2011
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Ever squirted water out of your mouth when playing in a swimming pool or lake? This Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) release by the Sun on April 15, 2012 looks reminiscent of such water spouting.
Space Exploration
Apr 17, 2012
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Powerful solar eruptions could electrically charge areas of the Martian moon Phobos to hundreds of volts, presenting a complex electrical environment that could possibly affect sensitive electronics carried by future robotic ...
Space Exploration
Oct 18, 2017
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The surface of the sun churns with energy and frequently ejects masses of highly-magnetized plasma towards Earth. Sometimes these ejections are strong enough to crash through the magnetosphere—the natural magnetic shield ...
Astronomy
Jun 3, 2021
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Even though Earth's magnetic field shields us from solar wind and space weather, it doesn't always offer complete protection. Researchers have discovered a new mechanism in Earth's space environment that can allow solar particles ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 1, 2022
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Think of light bulb filaments that glow when you flip a switch. That glow also occurs in magnetic fusion facilities known as tokamaks that are designed to harness the energy that powers the sun and stars. Understanding how ...
Plasma Physics
Aug 31, 2021
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Scientists at JET, the world's largest fusion energy research facility, have been deliberately melting parts of their own machine as they test materials for the fusion reactors of the future. These apparent acts of scientific ...
General Physics
Aug 23, 2013
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(Phys.org)—Using ESA's Cluster quartet of satellites as a space plasma microscope, scientists have zoomed in on the solar wind to reveal the finest detail yet, finding tiny turbulent swirls that could play a big role in ...
Space Exploration
Dec 19, 2012
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Researchers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have successfully used Coaxial Helicity Injection (CHI) to generate plasma current and couple it to a conventional current generation method at the National Spherical ...
Plasma Physics
Nov 8, 2010
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A pair of unusually large solar flares early yesterday generated a Coronal Mass Ejection that will reach Earth around mid-day today. It will likely cause at least a strong geomagnetic storm that could affect satellites in ...
Space Exploration
Mar 9, 2012
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