The breakthrough technique supercools plasma with lasers before trapping them in a magnetic field; allowing physicists to study the northern lights, white dwarves and nuclear fusion in ever greater detail. Source: https://www.livescience.com/laser-cooled-plasma-trapped.html
Tag: plasma
Space Hurricane Seen Above Magnetic North Pole Was Raining Electrons
The first space hurricane ever was spotted in August 2014, consisting of “an eddy of plasma, a type of superhot, charged gas found throughout the solar system,” reports Business Insider. “And instead of rain, this storm brought showers of electrons.” From the report: In August 2014, satellites observed a swirling mass with a quiet center more than 125 miles above the…
What is a quasar?
A quasar is an extremely bright and distant point-like source visible to radio telescopes. The source is a so-called Active Galactic Nucleus, fueled by a supermassive black hole. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/definition-what-is-a-quasar…
Researchers discover mechanism behind influence of irradiation defects on tritium permeation barrier
Recently, researchers led by Prof. Zhou Haishan from the Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP) of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) reported their new findings about the influence of irradiation effects on hydrogen permeation through alpha-alumina (α-Al2O3) tritium permeation barrier (TPB). …
Particles zipping around Earth at near light-speed finally explained
When the plasma of the Van Allen belts drops in density during a solar storm, it can set up the perfect conditions for electrons to travel nearly as fast as light. Source: https://www.livescience.com/van-allen-electrons-ultra-relativistic.html
What’s the difference between asteroids and comets?
Asteroids and comets are generally composed of different materials and reside in different locations of the solar system, while some rare objects display characteristics of both. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/whats-the-difference-between-comets-and-asteroids…
The myths behind the southern and northern lights
For millennia, humans have viewed the northern and southern lights – aurora borealis and aurora australis – and created myths and folklore to explain the dancing lights they saw in the sky. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/legends-folklore-myths-northern-southern-lights-auroras…
Black holes leak energy when they eat plasma near the event horizon
When magnetic fields around a black hole reconnect, they can slow down plasma particles near the event horizon, which cause the black hole to lose energy when it swallows them Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2264389-black-holes-leak-energy-when-they-eat-plasma-near-the-event-horizon/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Is a solar flare the same thing as a CME?
Solar Cycle 25 is here, and that means – in the years ahead – more solar flares and more coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. People sometimes use the words interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. Here’s the difference. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/is-a-solar-flare-the-same-thing-as-a-cme…
Korean Artificial Sun Sets the New World Record of 20-Sec-Long Operation At 100 Million Degrees
The Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research(KSTAR), a superconducting fusion device also known as the Korean artificial sun, set the new world record as it succeeded in maintaining the high temperature plasma for 20 seconds with an ion temperature over 100 million degrees. Phys.Org reports: On November 24 (Tuesday), the KSTAR Research Center at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KEF) announced…