A 'historic discovery' from NASA: Electrical field surrounding Earth detected

The American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that they have detected the electrical field surrounding Earth after years of searching.

It was stated that the field, called the ambipolar field, is as important as gravity and the magnetic field.

Since the 1960s, it had been suggested that an electrical field existed around Earth. It was estimated that the ambipolar field began at an altitude of 250 kilometers due to the separation of atoms in the atmosphere into negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions at that height. However, the existence of this field had not been proven until now.

Researchers from NASA's Endurance mission detected the ambipolar field and measured its strength for the first time with a rocket launched near the North Pole.

REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 768 KM, FELL IN 19 MINUTES

The rocket, launched from Svalbard in May 2022, reached an altitude of 768 kilometers and fell into the Greenland Sea 19 minutes later. The vehicle recorded a change of 0.55 volts in electric potential at an altitude of approximately 518 kilometers.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, shed light on the process behind polar winds. Lead author of the paper Glyn Collinson explained, "Half a volt is barely anything; it's only as strong as a watch battery." He added, "But that is the right amount to explain the polar wind."

According to the research, ions consisting of hydrogen are the most abundant particle type in the polar wind. These ions are subjected to an outward force by the ambipolar field that is 10.6 times stronger than gravity.

Collinson describes this situation as "like a conveyor belt lifting the atmosphere into space." Co-author of the study Alex Glocer stated, "This is more than enough to counter gravity, and even to launch particles into space at supersonic speeds."

271 PERCENT DENSITY IN UPPER LAYERS

Scientists also determined that this half-volt field shapes the ionosphere layer in Earth's upper atmosphere.

It was revealed that oxygen ions also rise under the influence of the ambipolar field, increasing the density in the upper parts of the ionosphere by 271 percent.

Scientists from the Endurance mission state that the ambipolar field may also be affecting the atmosphere in ways not yet known.

Furthermore, it is thought that such a field could also exist on planets like Mars and Venus. Collinson explained, "Any planet with an atmosphere should have an ambipolar field."

News Source: 12punto