. 24/7 Space News .
TIME AND SPACE
Space Plasma Hurricanes Suggest New Sources of Energy
by Staff Writers
Dayton Beach, FL (SPX) Sep 07, 2016


File image.

A new study by researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, funded by the National Science Foundation, has identified for the first time a process by which the solar wind is heated along extended regions of the Earth's magnetic shield as it penetrates through this barrier. The process may have parallels to the unsolved problem in astrophysics of how the solar corona is heated. It may also be helpful for understanding the cross-scale transport of energy in man-made plasma devices that may lead to the creation of practical fusion power.

In 2011, Ph.D. student Thomas W. Moore, at that time a master's student, began working with Dr. Katariina Nykyri, a Professor of Physics in the Physical Sciences Department and member of Embry-Riddle's Center for Space and Atmospheric Research in Daytona Beach, analyzing data gathered from four European Space Agency Cluster spacecraft.

The team, including post-doctoral researcher Andrew Dimmock, created numerical simulations that aid in understanding the signatures in the spacecraft data and utilized multi-spacecraft techniques for plasma wave mode identification. For 16 years, these four satellites have been investigating the Earth's magnetic environment and its interaction with the solar wind in three dimensions.

"In space, the fast streaming plasma (solar wind) originating from the Sun creates large 'space hurricanes,' called Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) waves, at the boundary of Earth's magnetic barrier," said Nykyri. "The KH waves typically have wavelengths in range of 20,000-40,000 km and a 1-3 minute period, and as they steepen and roll-up like ocean waves they can transport solar wind plasma into the magnetosphere."

The KH waves are a direct result of the way our planet fits into the larger solar system. Planet Earth is a gigantic magnet and its magnetic influence extends outward in a large bubble called a magnetosphere. A constant flow of particles from the Sun (solar wind) blows by the magnetosphere - not unlike wind blowing over the surface of the ocean. During certain situations, particles and energy (plasma) from the Sun can breach the magnetosphere, crossing into near-Earth space.

"Within plasma physics, this is a significant discovery," said Moore. "Our understanding of this cross-scale energy transfer process came together gradually. There was not really an 'aha' moment, but the implications of our work became apparent when we realized how all the pieces of our research fit together."

"We found that the giant KH waves can radiate ion-scale waves, or smaller 'space tornadoes,' that have sufficient energy to heat the plasma to the energies we observed," said Nykyri. "This process transfers the kinetic energy from the solar wind into the heat energy of magnetospheric ions, explaining the rapid temperature increase through Earth's magnetic barrier. If we could utilize this mechanism effectively in the high density laboratory plasmas by constructing appropriate transport barriers, we could create energy from water."

Plasma is not a gas, liquid or solid, but the fourth state of matter - a gas that is so hot that some or all its constituent atoms are split up into electrons and ions (charged atoms or molecules), which can move independently of each other. It is estimated that 99.9 percent of the visible universe is made up of plasma.

Technically, the study shows that the Embry-Riddle researchers have described for the first time the process of how energy is transferred from magnetohydrodynamic scale Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) plasma waves (with a wavelength of 36,000 km) to ion-scale magnetosonic waves that has sufficient Poynting flux to explain the observed heating from magnetosheath (shocked solar wind) into the magnetosphere.

Scaling of this mechanism to typical coronal parameters suggests that it may also help explain the heating of the solar corona as well as play role in other astrophysical and laboratory plasmas with a velocity shear.

Moore and Nykyri will be seeking funding to continue research into whether this cross-scale transport of energy continues all the way to the electron scales and how much energy can be transferred to the ion scales in laboratory plasmas.

"Cross-scale Energy Transport in Space Plasmas," T. W. Moore, K. Nykyri and A. P. Dimmock, 2016 Sept. 5, Nature Physics


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Understanding Time and Space






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
TIME AND SPACE
Russian researchers build novel plasma generator
Moscow (UPI) Sep 2, 2016
Researchers at Russia's National Research Nuclear University have developed a novel plasma generator. The device emits high-energy electron pulses using an impulse magnetron to evaporate material and direct it onto a substrate. The intense high-current pulses are created by shooting a stream of electrons through a magnetic field onto a liquid target. For their experiments, physicists at ... read more


TIME AND SPACE
Space tourists eye $150mln Soyuz lunar flyby

Roscosmos to spend $7.5Mln studying issues of manned lunar missions

Lockheed Martin, NASA Ink Deal for SkyFire Infrared Lunar Discovery Satellite

As dry as the moon

TIME AND SPACE
NASA Approves 2018 Launch of Mars InSight Mission

Storm Reduces Available Solar Energy on Opportunity

Anomalous grooves on Martian moon Phobos explained by impacts

Test for damp ground at Mars' seasonal streaks finds none

TIME AND SPACE
The Deep Space Network

At Berlin tech fair, waterproof gadgets make a splash

Grandpa astronaut breaks US space record

35 years later Voyager's legacy continues at Saturn

TIME AND SPACE
China's newly-launched quantum communication satellite in good shape

China Sends Country's Largest Carrier Rocket to Launch Base

'Heavenly Palace': China to Launch Two Manned Space Missions This Fall

China unveils Mars probe, rover for ambitious 2020 mission

TIME AND SPACE
US astronauts complete spacewalk for ISS maintenance

Space Station's orbit adjusted Wednesday

Astronauts Relaxing Before Pair of Spaceships Leave

'New port of call' installed at space station

TIME AND SPACE
India To Launch 5 Satellites In September

SpaceX scours data to try to pin down cause rocket explosion on launch pad

With operational acceptance complete, Western Range is ready for launch

Sky Muster II comes to French Guiana for launch on Ariane 5

TIME AND SPACE
New light on the complex nature of 'hot Jupiter' atmospheres

Discovery one-ups Tatooine, finds twin stars hosting three giant exoplanets

Could Proxima Centauri b Really Be Habitable

Rocky planet found orbiting habitable zone of nearest star

TIME AND SPACE
Experts warn booming seaweed industry

Mega tech fair IFA dives head-first into virtual reality

'Materials that compute' advances as Pitt engineers demonstrate pattern recognition

Plastic crystals could improve fabrication of memory devices









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.