Articles tagged with Solar Wind
A Southwest Research Institute-led study demonstrates PUNCH's potential to improve space weather forecasts by tracking fast coronal mass ejections and predicting their arrival times. The mission's high-fidelity data enables accurate forecasting, with retro-forecasts predicting arrival times within a 30-minute window.
High-resolution Solar Orbiter data detected abundant high-frequency magnetohydrodynamic waves in coronal plumes, with energy contributions similar to those of transverse Alfvénic waves. The findings provide crucial evidence for the role of these waves in coronal heating and solar wind acceleration.
A Boston University-led study found that the solar wind strips away Mars' atmosphere by generating Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, similar to wind on Earth. The process drives atmospheric ion escape, with plasma clouds facilitating bulk escape.
Researchers suggest that extreme space weather may have far worse effects on Earth's technology than previously thought. The study, published in Nature, found a direct relationship between solar wind strength and electric currents in the upper atmosphere, indicating no upper limit to Earth's response.
Researchers discovered that the solar wind slows down by 13-15% as it approaches the outer boundary of the heliosphere, aligning with previous models. This slowdown is crucial for understanding the impact of interstellar material on long-term space travel.
A study published in Science Advances reveals that Earth's ionosphere contributed to the majority of ring current ions during a record-breaking super geomagnetic storm in May 2024. This finding highlights the importance of understanding how much Earth's ionosphere contributes to the ring current, as it may be essential for accurately p...
Scientists predict that New Horizons will encounter the termination shock as early as 2029 or as late as 2040, helping improve understanding of heliosphere interactions with interstellar space. The research aims to prepare for future missions exploring solar system boundaries.
Researchers recreated solar wind in lab to study space weathering's impact on the moon's surface. They found that nanophase iron formation suggests solar wind plays a major role in shaping the lunar surface.
Researchers use helioseismology to track sound waves inside the Sun, finding a gradual change in structure just beneath the surface that spans multiple cycles. This discovery reveals a shift towards more tightly confined magnetic activity near the surface, with implications for space weather predictions.
A new study suggests Saturn's magnetic field is asymmetrical, with cusps located most often between 13:00 and 15:00. The researchers believe rapid spin and heavy plasma from Enceladus drag the field lines to the right.
A Southwest Research Institute-led study finds protons and heavy ions react differently to solar magnetic reconnection events, revealing a more complex magnetic engine. This new data contradicts current models, showing protons generate waves that scatter them more efficiently.
A University of Arizona-led research team has measured the dynamics and ever-changing hot gas shell from where the solar wind originates. The study helps scientists answer fundamental questions about energy and matter moving through the heliosphere, affecting space weather events and planetary orbits.
Astronomers have created a naturally occurring space weather station around complex periodic variable M dwarf stars to study the environment of planets. This discovery sheds new light on how stars affect their planets' makeup and might provide clues about the habitability of distant worlds.
The CoDICE instrument has successfully collected first-light data from IMAP, measuring energized particles from interstellar space, the solar wind, and solar energetic particles. This will provide a better understanding of our place in the universe by studying the interaction between the interstellar medium and the solar wind.
The PUNCH mission has made significant advancements in imaging the Sun's outer atmosphere and solar wind. The spacecraft has tracked enormous coronal mass ejections, providing a unique view of space weather events and their impact on our planet.
Researchers theorize that solar wind storms drove Voyager 2's observations of extreme radiation on Uranus. They suggest a co-rotating interaction region passing through the system could have fueled powerful high-frequency waves.
Researchers used historical geography to accurately measure Earth's rotation speed during a total solar eclipse in 709 BCE, providing new data about the Sun's activity. The study also supports recent solar cycle reconstructions and independently validates previous findings using radiocarbon analysis.
SOHO has provided a nearly continuous record of our Sun's activity for close to three 11-year-long solar cycles. The mission has overcome challenges, including a critical error and failed gyroscopes, but continues to produce high-quality data on a daily basis.
A new study reveals how the superstorm compressed Earth's plasmasphere, a protective layer of charged particles that encircles our planet. The plasmasphere normally extends far from Earth, but during the storm, its outer boundary moved from approximately 44,000 km above Earth's surface to just 9,600 km.
The NASA IMAP mission aims to explore the boundary of the heliosphere, where solar material collides with interstellar space. The SwRI-developed CoDICE sensor will measure the distribution and composition of interstellar pickup ions.
The SwRI-built Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) and Space Weather Follow-On Magnetometer (SWFO-MAG) will capture real-time data on solar wind and magnetic field changes to monitor space weather phenomena. This data will support NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center and help predict potential impacts on Earth's magnetic field.
New research questions the origin of organic molecules in Enceladus's plumes, suggesting they could be formed by radiation on Saturn's surface rather than originating from the sub-surface ocean. This challenges astrobiologists' assumptions about the moon's habitability.
Surya is a visual AI model trained on massive amounts of solar data, leveraging NASA's deep scientific expertise in cutting-edge AI models. The system aims to determine the Sun's magnetic field generation and structure, as well as its impact on the heliosphere and geospace.
Astronomers captured dark coronal loop strands with unprecedented clarity during an X1.3-class flare, measuring 48.2 km in width, the smallest ever imaged. The team's high-resolution images offer a potential breakthrough in resolving the fundamental scale of solar coronal loops and improving space weather forecasting.
Researchers at TU Wien found that the solar wind ions' erosive effect on the Moon has been vastly overestimated. The actual yield is up to an order of magnitude lower than previously assumed due to the regolith's porous structure.
Researchers propose using soft X-rays to measure reconnection rates and monitor space weather. By analyzing bright X-ray features, they calculated a global reconnection rate of 0.13, closely matching theoretical predictions.
The TRACERS mission will explore dynamic interactions between the Sun's and Earth's magnetic fields. By observing particles and fields in the northern magnetic cusp region, researchers can study how magnetic reconnection affects the space environment.
A new study using data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe confirms the presence of the 'helicity barrier', a previously theorized phenomenon that fundamentally changes how fluctuations dissipate and heat plasma. This discovery sheds light on properties of the solar wind, including its proton-hot electron-cold composition.
A new hybrid Gravitational Search-Simulated Annealing algorithm optimizes helicopter main transmission systems, reducing vibration and achieving global optimal solutions. The approach balances multiple load cases, subjective and objective evaluation, and solving speed, showing promise for revolutionizing helicopter design.
CODEX observes high-energy particles and radiation from the Sun's corona, providing unprecedented data on solar activity. The findings reveal a complex interplay between magnetic fields and particle acceleration.
The PUNCH mission has successfully imaged a huge solar eruption, providing unprecedented views of coronal mass ejections and the solar wind. The spacecraft constellation is enabling scientists to better understand and predict space weather events that can disrupt communications and endanger satellites.
A Southwest Research Institute-led study using NASA's Parker Solar Probe has identified a new source of energetic particles in the nascent solar wind. The research found that magnetic reconnection near the heliospheric current sheet heats the solar atmosphere and accelerates charged particles to near-relativistic speeds.
Scientists have developed a groundbreaking adaptive optics system that removes blur from images of the Sun's corona, revealing clearest images to date. The technology has produced remarkable observations of fine-structure in the corona, including raindrops and turbulent internal flows.
A new study by SwRI scientists reveals that solar energetic particles (SEPs) can be twice as fast as the solar wind and are more effectively accelerated to higher energies due to their distinct velocity distribution. This discovery is crucial for understanding radiation hazards to astronauts.
A new study reveals that sporadic E layers were significantly enhanced during the recovery phase of the 2024 Mother's Day super geomagnetic storm. The phenomenon, which appears as thin and dense patches of ionized metals, was detected mainly over Southeast Asia, Australia, the South Pacific, and the East Pacific.
The PUNCH mission has successfully collected its first images of the solar corona using four small spacecraft that act as a single virtual instrument. The images show the outer atmosphere of the Sun in stunning detail, with scientists aiming to remove background light and preserve the faint signal of the solar wind.
The study found that solar wind radiation plays a dominant role in space weathering on the lunar farside, differing from the nearside. The Chang'e-6 samples showed less melt drops and no nanophase metallic iron particles, indicating variations in the space environment.
Scientists detected a massive solar wind event from 2017 that compressed Jupiter's magnetosphere, creating a hot region spanning half the planet's circumference. The study reveals that solar bursts may significantly alter big planets' upper atmospheric dynamics, generating global winds and driving energy distribution.
The NRL-developed Narrow Field Imager is a compact coronagraph that will image the transition of the Sun's atmosphere to the solar wind, gaining insights into space plasma environments. The PUNCH mission aims to improve prediction and mitigation of space weather events like coronal mass ejections.
The PUNCH spacecraft will study the solar corona and track space weather events in three dimensions for the first time. The constellation includes four small suitcase-sized spacecraft that will provide a clear view of the Sun's outer atmosphere, allowing scientists to discern the exact trajectory and speed of coronal mass ejections.
The PUNCH mission will study the solar corona and its impact on the solar wind, improving space weather forecasting capabilities. The four small spacecraft, launched by NASA's Small Explorers program, will create a virtual instrument to image the Sun's corona, revealing previously invisible phenomena.
The EZIE mission will use a new measurement technique to study the electrojets, which can create large magnetic disturbances and power outages. By mapping the electrojets' structure and evolution, scientists hope to improve predictions of hazardous space weather.
The PUNCH mission will integrate understanding of the Sun's corona and solar wind. The constellation will deploy in polar orbit, enabling scientists to routinely see and understand the solar wind.
Researchers at the University of New Hampshire developed an AI-powered algorithm to categorize over 706 million aurora images from NASA's THEMIS data set. This labeled database can help scientists better understand and forecast geomagnetic storms that disrupt vital communications and security infrastructure.
The Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) instrument will provide comprehensive views of Earth's magnetosphere, capturing low-energy X-rays emanating from its edges. This could help researchers understand how the planet responds to space weather and potentially damaging solar particles.
The spacecraft successfully completed its record-breaking closest approach to the solar surface on December 24, 2024, flying just 3.8 million miles above the surface at a speed of 430,000 miles per hour. This pass allows scientists to conduct unrivaled scientific measurements with the potential to change our understanding of the Sun.
Scientists report early results from NASA-funded solar eclipse experiments, capturing detailed images of the Sun's corona and studying its effects on the atmosphere and ionosphere. The experiments involved citizen scientists, amateur radio operators, and aircraft observations, providing valuable data for future research.
Researchers at University of Arizona discovered a spike in carbon-14 dating to 664 B.C., pinpointing the last known extreme solar storm event. The study provides crucial data for scientists studying sun's activity and offers insights into massive storms' effects on Earth's atmosphere.
The Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) will block out the Sun's surface light to observe details in its outer atmosphere, providing new insights into the solar wind. By measuring temperature, speed, and density, scientists will gain a fuller picture of the solar wind's evolution.
The University of Texas at Arlington has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to train scientists in space physics and data science. The grant will also enable UTA to create a specialization in space physics for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in physics.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered a link between lightning storms on Earth and high-energy electrons in space. The team found that lightning strikes can knock these 'killer electrons' out of the inner radiation belt, which could pose a threat to satellites and astronauts.
A team of astronomers discovered new insights into the forces that shape protoplanetary disks using the James Webb Space Telescope. They traced disk winds in unprecedented detail, revealing an intricate structure and a pronounced central hole inside each cone-shaped envelope of winds.
Researchers at NJIT's Institute for Space Weather Sciences and Ying Wu College of Computing are developing an AI-powered space weather forecasting system called SolarDM. The system uses synthetic vector magnetograms to provide critical data for predicting solar eruptions, which could offer a three-day forecast horizon.
Scientists have discovered how the Sun's supersonic solar wind receives energy, thanks to a lucky alignment of NASA and ESA spacecraft. The fastest solar winds are powered by magnetic switchbacks, which deposit enough energy to account for heating and acceleration in the solar wind.
Two proposed UK space missions, led by the University of Leicester, will investigate the Sun's impact on atmospheres, space weather and habitability. Elfen will study Earth's magnetosphere, while SIRIUS will analyze stellar winds and their effects on exoplanetary environments.
The Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) is a wide-field X-ray telescope that will image Earth's magnetospheric boundaries, revealing invisible structures and processes. It is part of the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) mission, which aims to study the solar winds' impact on our planet's magnetic environment.
A new catalyst with a lead coating enhances the performance of a nickel-based hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst, increasing efficiency and resisting reverse current. This breakthrough could improve the durability of alkaline water electrolysis systems and support a green hydrogen economy.
Researchers studied Chang'e-5 samples to understand how solar wind irradiation and micrometeorite impacts form metallic iron nanoparticles, revealing distinct effects on size and optical properties. The study provides insights into lunar surface color variations and remote sensing measurements.
Astrophysicists calculate that two million years ago, the solar system encountered a cold, harsh interstellar cloud, which may have interfered with the sun's solar wind and affected Earth's climate. The heliosphere, a protective plasma shield, was compressed in such a way that it briefly placed Earth outside its influence.
Scientists have identified the mysterious origins of the 'slow' solar wind using data from Solar Orbiter's first close journey to the Sun. The slow wind is thought to originate from areas where open and closed magnetic field lines meet, allowing it to escape into space through a process of breaking and reconnection.