NASA Finds New Global Energy Field Around Earth

NASA scientists have confirmed the existence of a third global energy field encircling Earth, known as the ambipolar electric field. This newly discovered field plays a crucial role in propelling charged particles into space from the poles.

Historical Context and Existing Fields

Traditionally, Earth’s global energy fields have been understood to consist of the gravity field, created by the planet’s mass, and the electromagnetic field, generated by the movement of molten metals in the core. Although scientists have long speculated about a third field, it was not until a recent NASA study that its presence was conclusively proven.

Since the 1960s, observations from spacecraft flying over Earth’s poles revealed an unexpected flux of particles escaping the atmosphere. This “polar wind” exhibited supersonic speeds despite remaining cold, which puzzled scientists. They hypothesized the existence of the ambipolar electric field to explain this phenomenon.

Mechanics of the Ambipolar Electric Field

The hypothesis posited that this field originates at around 250 kilometers (150 miles) above the poles. At this altitude, electrons are easily stripped from hydrogen and oxygen atoms, leaving behind heavier positively charged ions. While gravity would typically cause these ions to fall, their mutual attraction to the electrons counteracts this, extending the atmospheric density higher up over the poles.

Despite its weak strength, the ambipolar electric field was detected during NASA’s Endurance mission. Launched on May 11, 2022, from Svalbard, Norway, Endurance carried instruments designed to measure electric potential changes from 250 km to 768 km (477 miles) altitude. The mission successfully detected a voltage change of 0.55 volts, confirming the field’s presence.

Principal Investigator Glynn Collinson noted, “Although half a volt might seem negligible, it’s sufficient to explain the polar wind phenomena.” For hydrogen ions, this field exerts a force more than ten times stronger than gravity, significantly boosting their speed into space. Additionally, the experiment recorded a 271% increase in the ionosphere’s scale height.

The confirmation of this ambipolar electric field opens new avenues for understanding its influence on Earth’s atmospheric evolution throughout history.

Read the Original Article on: New Atlas

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