Predicting geomagnetic storms. (Astronomy).Eruptions from the sun's outer atmosphere can hurl million-ton clouds of electrically charged ions toward Earth. Moreover, solar flares spew high-energy X rays and high-speed charged particles. Recent observations with an Earth-orbiting spacecraft may yield new ways to predict when these solar temper tantrums will cause the geomagnetic storms that disrupt communications systems on Earth and harm satellites. Using a satellite called IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration), researchers for the first time obtained images of the sun pumping material into its plasma sheet, which is made of highly ionized i·on·ize tr. & intr.v. i·on·ized, i·on·iz·ing, i·on·iz·es To convert or be converted totally or partially into ions. i atoms and pierces Earth's magnetic field Earth's magnetic field (and the surface magnetic field) is approximately a magnetic dipole, with one pole near the north pole (see Magnetic North Pole) and the other near the geographic south pole (see Magnetic South Pole). . The scientists also confirmed that when the magnetic field carried by the plasma sheet points opposite to the direction of Earth's magnetic field, material within the sheet can penetrate Earth's protective magnetic bubble. Only if the plasma sheet is full and it has an oppositely pointing magnetic field can a geomagnetic storm be triggered, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the 20-day study with IMAGE. Previous measurements of the plasma sheet and the magnetic field it carries were confined to small regions that couldn't readily be stitched together into a global picture of the forces involved in triggering geomagnetic storms, says David J David J. Haskins (b. April 24, 1957, in Northampton, England) is a British alternative rock musician. He was the bassist for the seminal gothic rock band Bauhaus. Life and work . McComas of the Southwest Research Institute Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the oldest and largest independent, nonprofit, applied research and development (R&D) organizations in the United States. Founded in 1947 by Thomas Slick, Jr. in San Antonio, Tex. McComas and his colleagues describe their study in the Nov. 15, 2002 Geophysical Research Letters Geophysical Research Letters is a publication of the American Geophysical Union. GRL is the organization's only letters journal. Since its introduction in 1974, GRL has published only short research letters, typically 3-5 pages long, which focus on a specific discipline or , mailed this month.--R.C. |
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