NASA has just announced a revolutionary finding that could change our understanding of Earth's environment! After years of research, the space agency has confirmed the existence of the 'ambipolar' field—a crucial electrical zone surrounding our planet. This discovery is poised to be as significant as gravity itself. Dive into the details of this game-changing revelation!
It is known that electrically charged particles from the North and South Poles regularly mix into space. It has also been found that atoms in the atmosphere can break down into negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions at altitudes up to 250 kilometers.
After extensive research, NASA has announced the detection of this electrical field surrounding Earth.
The strength of this field was also measured. A rocket launched from the Arctic Ocean in 2022 reached an altitude of 768 kilometers (even higher than the International Space Station) and fell into the Greenland Sea 19 minutes later.
The vehicle, which collected data at about 518 kilometers altitude, showed a change of 0.55 volts in its electric potential. Following this launch, the origin of polar winds was also determined. These winds are actually created by the ambipolar field.
Although 0.55 volts may seem low, this force is reported to be ten times less than the gravitational force on these materials. As a result, the amount of hydrogen on Earth is continuously cycled due to the polar winds created by the electrical field. While the atmosphere is crucial for life on Earth, an excess of hydrogen in the atmosphere would negatively impact life on Earth. The electrical field maintains atmospheric balance by creating polar winds.
The lead author of the paper, Glyn Collinson, describes the ambipolar field as 'like a conveyor belt lifting the atmosphere into space.' Co-author Alex Glocer adds, 'This is more than enough to counteract gravity and even launch particles into space at supersonic speeds.' It is also thought that such a field might exist on planets like Mars and Venus. Collinson highlights the importance of future research, stating, 'Now that we can finally measure this, we can start learning how it shapes our planet and others over time.'