Earth grew an additional “radiation belts” after a supercharged solar storm shook the magnetic field of our planet last year, the data of a NASA resurrected spacecraft reveal. And one of the invisible bands, which is different from any similar structure seen before, could be there.
In May 2024, the Earth was beaten with its Largest geomagnetic storm in 21 years After a flood of solar storms, he crashed into our planet, interrupting the magnetosphere and painting some of the Aurora samples more widespread in the last 500 years. The geomagnetic disturbance also caused GPS machinery for malfunction.
In a new study published on February 6 in the Geophysics Research Magazine: Space PhysicsThe researchers analyzed new data collected by the Satellite of the Colorado Internal Radiation Belt of NASA (CIRBE) and discovered that two temporal radiation belts also arose around our planet after storms. The belts were created when the particles loaded with the solar outbursts were trapped by the Earth’s magnetic field.
These bands are similar to Van Allen’s belts: a pair of permanent donut -shaped radiation belts that extend up to 36,000 miles (58,000 kilometers) from the surface of the earth and help protect our planet from solar rays and Cosmic rays. The two new bands settled in the space between Van Allen’s interior belt and Van Allen’s outer belt.
Like the permanent structures, the outermost of the two temporary bands Mainly electrons contentsbuzzing At a speed close to light. However, the most internal temporal belt contained a surprising number of protons, which had never been seen in other temporary radiation belts before, the researchers wrote.
Related: 10 supercharged solar storms that left us speechless in 2024
“When we compare the data before and after the storm, I said: ‘wow, this is something really new'” main author of the study Xinlin LiA spatial physicist and aerospace engineer from the University of Colorado Boulder, said in a NASA Declaration. The proton belt configuration was “really impressive,” he added.
Cirbe’s satellite was offline during the May superstorm, after a malfunction in mid -April last year. However, on June 15, 2024, the spacecraft suddenly returned to life and resumed taking measures. The spacecraft of the size of a bread box, known as Cubesat, was equipped with a unique device that could detect specific particles inside the Van Allen belts. If I had never returned online, the researchers would not have discovered the new protons belt, the team said.
“It was not visible in the data of other spacecraft,” Li said. “We are very proud that our very small cubesat has made such discovery.”
Cirbe continued to take measures measures until October 2024, when the posterior solar storms caused orbit and burned in the atmosphere of the earth, NASA representatives said in the statement.
‘Probably still there’
Temporary radiation belts are not new. After the main solar storms, charged particles are often temporarily trapped between the Van Allen belts for a few weeks. However, the most recent additions to the Earth’s radiation shield have survived much longer than most, probably due to the intensity of the Mayor storm.
The external electron belt disappeared about three months after the storm, after a greater bombardment of a Great Solar Storm in June and another in AugustThe researchers wrote.
However, the internal protons belt has proven to be much more resistant and “it is probably still there,” wrote NASA representatives. But it is difficult to know for sure without Cirbe.
It is currently not clear why the inner belt has remained for so long. It could be due to its unique configuration or be linked to the largest number of solar storms during Solar maximum -The most active phase of the solar cycle of approximately 11 years of the sun, which Officially started at the beginning of last year.
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