A new kind of magnetic explosion, called forced magnetic reconnection, was seen for the first time in images from NASA’s SDO spacecraft. Learn more in this beautiful video. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/new-kind-of-explosion-on-sun-video…
Tag: plasma
Image: Holiday Kristall
This box of holiday cheer is actually tubes of plasma containing suspended microparticles exposed to an electrical current to form 3-D crystal structures. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-12-image-holiday-kristall.html…
New reentry CubeSat in orbit
ESA’s latest space mission has reached orbit. The Qarman CubeSat flew to space aboard SpaceX’s Dragon launched from Florida, U.S., on Thursday 5 December, ahead of a planned rendezvous with the International Space Station on Sunday 8 December. From there, Qarman—seen here during plasma wind tunnel testing—will be deployed into space in late January 2020. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-12-reentry-cubesat-orbit.html…
‘We’re missing something fundamental about the sun’
Parker Solar Probe – now in its 4th orbit around our local star – is designed to endure the sun’s heat and radiation like no previous mission. Data collected during the craft’s first 2 orbits were released last month. This week, 4 new studies in Nature have space scientists buzzing. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/parker-solar-probe-4-new-studies-dec-4-2019…
ATLAS Experiment probes the quark-gluon plasma in a new study of photo-produced muon pairs
At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the electromagnetic fields of Lorentz-contracted lead nuclei in heavy-ion collisions act as intense sources of high-energy photons, or particles of light. This environment allows particle physicists to study photon-induced scattering processes, which can not be studied elsewhere. …
NASA rockets study why tech goes haywire near poles
Each second, 1.5 million tons of solar material shoot off of the Sun and out into space, traveling at hundreds of miles per second. Known as the solar wind, this incessant stream of plasma, or electrified gas, has pelted Earth for more than 4 billion years. Thanks to our planet’s magnetic field, it’s mostly deflected away. But head far enough north, and…
There’s a Violent Battle Between Solar Wind and Cosmic Rays, and Voyager 2 Just Passed Through it
At the edge of our solar system, a fierce battle rages between solar wind and interstellar rays. NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft has now passed through the frontlines. Source: https://www.livescience.com/voyager-2-detects-heliopause-plasma-shield.html
New model will help predict several solar phenomena
An international group of scientists, in cooperation with a research scientist from Skoltech, has developed a model to describe changes in solar plasma. This will help comprehend solar dynamics and gives clues to understanding how to predict space weather events. The results have been published in the Astrophysical Journal. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-11-solar-phenomena.html…
Millions of Gargantuan Plasma ‘Spicules’ Might Be Spreading Heat Around the Sun’s Atmosphere
The sun’s surface is covered by millions of enormous plasma jets known as spicules at any given moment. Now, researchers think they know why. Source: https://www.livescience.com/solar-spicules-magnetic-field-annihilation.html
Ambrosia, the Young Blood Transfusion Startup, Is Quietly Back in Business
Earlier this year, Ambrosia, the much-maligned California startup selling blood transfusions from young donors, stopped offering the procedure after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a buyer beware, warning consumers against using the service. But now, according to Ambrosia’s CEO, the company is back up and running. From a report: Jesse Karmazin, the CEO and founder of Ambrosia, told OneZero…