Solar Wind
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The ram pressure is a function of wind speed and density. Both the fast and slow solar wind can be interrupted by large, fast-moving bursts of plasma called interplanetary coronal mass ejections , or ICMEs. ICMEs are the interplanetary manifestation of solar coronal mass ejections , which are caused by release of magnetic energy at the Sun. CMEs are often called "solar storms" or "space storms" in the popular media. They are sometimes, but not always, associated with solar flares , which are another manifestation of magnetic energy release at the Sun.
ICMEs cause shock waves in the thin plasma of the heliosphere, launching electromagnetic waves and accelerating particles mostly protons and electrons to form showers of ionizing radiation that precede the CME. When a CME impacts the Earth's magnetosphere , it temporarily deforms the Earth's magnetic field , changing the direction of compass needles and inducing large electrical ground currents in Earth itself; this is called a geomagnetic storm and it is a global phenomenon.
CME impacts can induce magnetic reconnection in Earth's magnetotail the midnight side of the magnetosphere ; this launches protons and electrons downward toward Earth's atmosphere, where they form the aurora. ICMEs are not the only cause of space weather. Different patches on the Sun are known to give rise to slightly different speeds and densities of wind depending on local conditions.
In isolation, each of these different wind streams would form a spiral with a slightly different angle, with fast-moving streams moving out more directly and slow-moving streams wrapping more around the Sun. Fast moving streams tend to overtake slower streams that originate westward of them on the Sun, forming turbulent co-rotating interaction regions that give rise to wave motions and accelerated particles, and that affect Earth's magnetosphere in the same way as, but more gently than, CMEs.
Over the Sun's lifetime, the interaction of its surface layers with the escaping solar wind has significantly decreased its surface rotation rate. Where the solar wind intersects with a planet that has a well-developed magnetic field such as Earth, Jupiter or Saturn , the particles are deflected by the Lorentz force. This region, known as the magnetosphere , causes the particles to travel around the planet rather than bombarding the atmosphere or surface.
The magnetosphere is roughly shaped like a hemisphere on the side facing the Sun, then is drawn out in a long wake on the opposite side. The boundary of this region is called the magnetopause , and some of the particles are able to penetrate the magnetosphere through this region by partial reconnection of the magnetic field lines.
The solar wind is responsible for the overall shape of Earth's magnetosphere. Fluctuations in its speed, density, direction, and entrained magnetic field strongly affect Earth's local space environment. For example, the levels of ionizing radiation and radio interference can vary by factors of hundreds to thousands; and the shape and location of the magnetopause and bow shock wave upstream of it can change by several Earth radii, exposing geosynchronous satellites to the direct solar wind. These phenomena are collectively called space weather.
From the European Space Agency 's Cluster mission, a new study has taken place that proposes that it is easier for the solar wind to infiltrate the magnetosphere than previously believed. A group of scientists directly observed the existence of certain waves in the solar wind that were not expected. A recent study shows that these waves enable incoming charged particles of solar wind to breach the magnetopause. This suggests that the magnetic bubble forms more as a filter than a continuous barrier. This latest discovery occurred through the distinctive arrangement of the four identical Cluster spacecraft, which fly in a controlled configuration through near-Earth space.
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As they sweep from the magnetosphere into interplanetary space and back again, the fleet provides exceptional three-dimensional insights on the phenomena that connect the sun to Earth. The research characterised variances in formation of the interplanetary magnetic field IMF largely influenced by Kelvin—Helmholtz instability which occur at the interface of two fluids as a result of differences in thickness and numerous other characteristics of the boundary layer.
Experts believe that this was the first occasion that the appearance of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves at the magnetopause had been displayed at high latitude dawnward orientation of the IMF. These waves are being seen in unforeseen places under solar wind conditions that were formerly believed to be undesired for their generation. These discoveries show how Earth's magnetosphere can be penetrated by solar particles under specific IMF circumstances.
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The findings are also relevant to studies of magnetospheric progressions around other planetary bodies. This study suggests that Kelvin-Helmholtz waves can be a somewhat common, and possibly constant, instrument for the entrance of solar wind into terrestrial magnetospheres under various IMF orientations. The solar wind affects other incoming cosmic rays interacting with planetary atmospheres.
Smaller business or large enterprise? Solve your toughest IT management problem, today. The total number of particles carried away from the Sun by the solar wind is about 1. This would at least replace solar panels in space. The first person to suggest that the ejected material consisted of both ions and electrons was Kristian Birkeland. This study suggests that Kelvin-Helmholtz waves can be a somewhat common, and possibly constant, instrument for the entrance of solar wind into terrestrial magnetospheres under various IMF orientations.
Moreover, planets with a weak or non-existent magnetosphere are subject to atmospheric stripping by the solar wind. Venus , the nearest and most similar planet to Earth, has times denser atmosphere, with little or no geo-magnetic field. Space probes discovered a comet-like tail that extends to Earth's orbit. Earth itself is largely protected from the solar wind by its magnetic field , which deflects most of the charged particles; however some of the charged particles are trapped in the Van Allen radiation belt.
A smaller number of particles from the solar wind manage to travel, as though on an electromagnetic energy transmission line, to the Earth's upper atmosphere and ionosphere in the auroral zones. The only time the solar wind is observable on the Earth is when it is strong enough to produce phenomena such as the aurora and geomagnetic storms. Bright auroras strongly heat the ionosphere, causing its plasma to expand into the magnetosphere, increasing the size of the plasma geosphere and injecting atmospheric matter into the solar wind.
Geomagnetic storms result when the pressure of plasmas contained inside the magnetosphere is sufficiently large to inflate and thereby distort the geomagnetic field. It is believed the mechanism for this atmospheric stripping is gas caught in bubbles of magnetic field, which are ripped off by solar winds. This electric field accelerates electrically charged gas atoms, called ions, in Mars' upper atmosphere and shoots them into space.
Mercury , the nearest planet to the Sun, bears the full brunt of the solar wind, and since its atmosphere is vestigial and transient, its surface is bathed in radiation. Mercury has an intrinsic magnetic field, so under normal solar wind conditions, the solar wind cannot penetrate its magnetosphere and particles only reach the surface in the cusp regions. During coronal mass ejections, however, the magnetopause may get pressed into the surface of the planet, and under these conditions, the solar wind may interact freely with the planetary surface. The Earth's Moon has no atmosphere or intrinsic magnetic field , and consequently its surface is bombarded with the full solar wind.
The Project Apollo missions deployed passive aluminum collectors in an attempt to sample the solar wind, and lunar soil returned for study confirmed that the lunar regolith is enriched in atomic nuclei deposited from the solar wind. These elements may prove useful resources for lunar colonies. The solar wind "blows a bubble" in the interstellar medium the rarefied hydrogen and helium gas that permeates the galaxy.
The point where the solar wind's strength is no longer great enough to push back the interstellar medium is known as the heliopause and is often considered to be the outer border of the Solar System. The distance to the heliopause is not precisely known and probably depends on the current velocity of the solar wind and the local density of the interstellar medium, but it is far outside Pluto 's orbit.
Scientists hope to gain perspective on the heliopause from data acquired through the Interstellar Boundary Explorer IBEX mission, launched in October Metzler, Role of fluctuations in the interplanetary magnetic field on the heat conduction in the Solar Wind.
The solar wind is a stream of charged particles released from the upper atmosphere of the Sun, called the corona. This plasma consists of mostly electrons. Solar wind is a constant stream of plasma and particles emanating from the sun. Fortunately, Earth's magnetic field protects us from its harmful.
Metzler, Solution of 3-fluid model equations with anomalous transport coefficients for thequiet Solar Wind. Spygelglass, Confirmation of known numerical solutions for the quiet Solar Wind equations. Metzler, Relative magnitude of streaming velocities of alpha particles and protons at 1AU. A multi-fluid model for stellar winds. Proceedings of the L. Dryer, A self-consistent solution of the three-fluid model of the Solar Wind.
Rosenau, A time-dependent two-fluid model with thermal conduction for Solar Wind. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This article is about the stellar wind from the Sun. For other uses, see Solar wind disambiguation. Space portal Star portal. Living Reviews in Solar Physics. Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate. Basics of the Solar Winds.
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Eddington's Analysis of Comet Morehouse". Notes and Records of the Royal Society. The First Space Scientist. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Who First Discovered the Solar Wind? Archived from the original on The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, An Introduction to Plasmas and. An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics revised 2nd ed. Switching off lights and appliances for one hour in itself will make little difference but Earth Hour will make an impact through energy customer awareness and action, says a Queensland University of Technology energy expert.
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Apple unveiled three new iPhones on Wednesday in a bid to bolster its spot in the premium smartphone market, along with an upgraded smartwatch that takes electrocardiograms and detects falls. Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Germany rolls out world's first hydrogen train September 17, Germany on Monday rolled out the world's first hydrogen-powered train, signalling the start of a push to challenge the might of polluting diesel trains with costlier but more eco-friendly technology.
What will it take to save this blue marble we call Earth? What if a single musical note could mean the difference between life and death? Adjust slider to filter visible comments by rank. While I applaud the fact that yet another group has recognized this potential, this certainly isn't anything new. They have not even offered any new solutions of how to build and deploy these devices. Personally, I think the most cost-effective means is through self-assembling robots mining asteroids, etc.
At any rate, the sun produces more than 1. Good lord, all you have to do is string a copper wire with a weight on it and let it cruise through the Earth's magnetic field and beam the current down via microwaves Let's see, shipping tons and tons of complicated equipment into relatively deep space, dealing with the constant bombardments of particles and radiation that you hope to harvest , figuring out how to beam it back and then of course you must reconvert and distribute that beam.
You have to maintain all of the above. Or, refine the designs of breeder reactors, my hopes on thorium breeders, but Bill Gate's project is a good shot too. They'll give humanity years to figure out fusion or whatever else. Yes it would be ineffecient but hey power lines are ineffecient relays and sub stations are ineffecient relays.
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So have the satellite beem the energy to another satellite that redirects it closer to earth via another satellite. Let's see, shipping tons and tons of complicated equipment into relatively deep space. This is why you need mining and manufacturing facilities in space to make whatever components are necessary to minimize cost of launch. Many asteroids are believed, based on recovered meteorite samples, to be very rich in nickel and copper, two metals that have huge applications in a project like this. To further minimize costs, you would ship self-replicating systems as much as possible.
After this, you would only ship up things that can't be manufactured in space with available materials. Nuclear Reactors are by far the cheapest and safest and cleanest power generation method we have ever had or will have for a few hundred more years at least. I would be with you nuclear people, if it weren't for the dismal track record of the entrenched energy Industries, Nuclear, Coal, Petro -when it comes to safety record, environmental impact, market manipulation, collusion, fraud, coercion, et c, et c, et c.
Expecially troubling when one takes into account all of the technology purportedly bought up, suppressed, or destroyed by Big Energy over the years, simply to maintain marketshare and profitability. Build a few, see how it goes. How about, build the proposed nuclear reactors BUT also develop this solar sail thing on a smaller scale to power satellites and space stations, instead of using expensive solar panels that are easily damaged by debris in space.
This would at least replace solar panels in space. The total output of the sun is less than that. There's something wrong with the arithmetic. Yes the arithmetic seems way off. If it was a solar energy from sunlight, the sail could collect about 64 million gigawatts in near earth orbit. I still think the technology is still far off, as even 1 square km on earth is an extreme engineering undertaking.
But yeah the idea is sound. As long as the antimatter doesn't lose containment , and even if it does its probably too far from the Earth to affect us. With this method you can also make enough antimatter to power Interstellar ships too. This sounds like a very exciting idea