NASA Confirms Existence of Earth's Ambipolar Electric Field

NASA scientists have made a ground-breaking discovery: they have verified the presence of an Earth-encompassing, weak electric field, a phenomena that was first theorised by scientists in the late 1960s. According to a recent research in the journal Nature, this "ambipolar electric field" may give light on how Earth has evolved and help in the hunt for exoplanets that may be habitable.

The Endurance Mission

NASA's Endurance mission, which launched a suborbital rocket in May 2022, provided the confirmation. After ascending to a height of 477 miles, the mission's advanced detectors detected the illusive field by measuring minute variations in electric charge. 

"A mere half a volt is roughly equivalent to a watch battery in strength," lead author and Endurance main investigator Glyn Collinson clarified. But that is precisely enough to account for the arctic wind.

The Polar Wind Mystery

The finding clarifies a long-standing mystery regarding the "polar wind," a phenomena in which charged particles—despite being cold—flow out of Earth's atmosphere at supersonic speeds. Although they lacked the tools to identify it, scientists had long hypothesised that some force was pulling these particles out.  

Collinson underlined the significance of the discovery by saying, "Something had to be sucking these particles out of the atmosphere."

Implications for Earth and Beyond

The Earth's ionosphere, a layer of electrons in the upper atmosphere that shelters the globe from most of the Sun's radiation, is thought to be strengthened by the ambipolar field.  Furthermore, the finding raises the possibility that comparable electric fields surround other worlds like Venus and Mars that have atmospheres. 

Collinson's statement that "any planet with an atmosphere should have an ambipolar field" opened up new options for planetary research.

A Technical Feat

Svalbard, an archipelago a few hundred miles from the North Pole that was selected for its special location, served as the launchpad for the Endurance rocket. 

Coauthor Suzie Imber, a space physicist from the University of Leicester, said, "Svalbard is the only rocket range in the world where you can fly through the arctic wind and make the observations we needed."  According to the team's findings, particles are propelled into space at supersonic speeds by an external force that is more than ten times stronger than the pull of gravity.

Future Research

This finding opens up new avenues for research into the long-term shaping of Earth and other planets by the ambipolar field. Additionally, it adds a new dimension to the mix of factors that scientists take into account when looking for exoplanets that might be habitable, which advances our knowledge of planetary atmospheres and their evolution.

Let's Understand

How does Ambipolar Electric Field work?

Ever wondered how some particles from our atmosphere manage to escape into space?

Picture this: way up in our atmosphere, about 150 miles high, there's this cool thing happening. The air up there is so thin that atoms start to break apart. They split into super light electrons (the negative guys) and much heavier ions (the positive crew).

Now, you'd think these two would just go their separate ways, right? The electrons are so light they could easily zip off into space, while the chunky ions would sink back towards Earth. But here's where it gets interesting – they actually stick together! How? It's all thanks to a weak electric field that forms between them.

This electric field is like an invisible tether, keeping the electrons and ions from drifting too far apart. It's pretty clever, actually. The ions act like a heavy anchor, pulling the electrons back down. But at the same time, those zippy electrons are tugging the ions upwards. It's kind of like a tiny, energetic puppy trying to drag its sleepy owner on a walk!

Scientists call this the "ambipolar" field because it works in both directions – pulling down and lifting up at the same time. The result? It actually makes our atmosphere stretch higher than it would otherwise.

But here's the kicker – sometimes this tug-of-war sends ions high enough that they can hitch a ride on something called the polar wind and escape into space! Talk about a cosmic joyride!

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