The Voyager spacecraft found that the Sun's magnetic field generates this foam as a result of rotation of the star
CONTRAST. The vision of old and new limit of the heliosphere. On the right, including magnetic bubbles foam (Foto: Especial NASA )
The Solar System in your area more distant contains a turbulent sea of magnetic bubbles that interact with particles from other galaxies that enter our system determine how to interact with the rest of the universe revealed Voyager observations of the U.S. space agency (NASA).
Scientists used a computer model to analyze data from the probe has reached the more distant area of the system in the history of Earth's space race and found that Sun's magnetic field is formed by 160 million miles of bubbles.
Scientists used a computer model to analyze data from the probe has reached the more distant area of the system in the history of Earth's space race and found that Sun's magnetic field is formed by 160 million miles of bubbles.
The bubbles are created when magnetic field lines are broken and rearranged in this way. Each bubble has a length of 100 million miles (160 million 934 thousand 400 kilometers), scientists described in the journal Astrophysical Journal.
Like Earth, our Sun has a magnetic field at its poles. Field lines extend outward by the solar wind, expanding the charged particles from the star towards the end of the Milky Way.
Voyager is 14 billion kilometers from Earth and is in a border area of the system. In that area the solar wind and magnetic field are affected by the material which in turn expelled other stars.
Like Earth, our Sun has a magnetic field at its poles. Field lines extend outward by the solar wind, expanding the charged particles from the star towards the end of the Milky Way.
Voyager is 14 billion kilometers from Earth and is in a border area of the system. In that area the solar wind and magnetic field are affected by the material which in turn expelled other stars.
"The sun's magnetic field expands along the edge of the solar system by the rotation the Sunthe magnetic field is twisted and wrinkled, like a ballerina's skirt. In the distances of the sun where the Voyager is the folds the skirt is compacted, "said Merav Opher astronomer from Boston University and author of the article published in the Journal.
When the magnetic field is compressed so the magnetic lines intersect and reconnect, the reconnection magnetic energy is just as solar flares. The compact fold reorganize themselves, sometimes explosively, thereby creating foam magnetic bubbles.
The researchers named this region as "the heliosheath" which is the boundary between solar system and the rest of the Milky Way, for which thousands of objects and bodies are trying to enter, but face a barrier violent magnetic bubbles.
The relevance of this finding relates to the importance of understanding the structure of the solar magnetic field, as this would allow scientists to explain how galactic cosmic rays entering our solar system interact and influence how the Sun and stars with the rest of the galaxy.
"We continue trying to understand the implications of the findings," said physicist Jim Drake, University of Maryland and a researcher of the Voyager team.
The theory held before learning of the possible existence of bubbles was that external bodies were slowed by the existence of cosmic rays on the edge of the solar system.
"The magnetic bubbles appear as our first counter-argument against cosmic rays. We have not determined whether this is good or not," said Opher.
On the one hand, the bubbles could be seen as a very porous shield that would allow many cosmic rays enter our system. On the other hand, cosmic rays could be trapped inside the bubbles which would be a much more powerful shield.
Scientists will have to wait for more data from the Voyager mission consists of two twin probes that were launched in 1977 with the objective of crossing the border interstellar space.
The researchers named this region as "the heliosheath" which is the boundary between solar system and the rest of the Milky Way, for which thousands of objects and bodies are trying to enter, but face a barrier violent magnetic bubbles.
The relevance of this finding relates to the importance of understanding the structure of the solar magnetic field, as this would allow scientists to explain how galactic cosmic rays entering our solar system interact and influence how the Sun and stars with the rest of the galaxy.
"We continue trying to understand the implications of the findings," said physicist Jim Drake, University of Maryland and a researcher of the Voyager team.
The theory held before learning of the possible existence of bubbles was that external bodies were slowed by the existence of cosmic rays on the edge of the solar system.
"The magnetic bubbles appear as our first counter-argument against cosmic rays. We have not determined whether this is good or not," said Opher.
On the one hand, the bubbles could be seen as a very porous shield that would allow many cosmic rays enter our system. On the other hand, cosmic rays could be trapped inside the bubbles which would be a much more powerful shield.
Scientists will have to wait for more data from the Voyager mission consists of two twin probes that were launched in 1977 with the objective of crossing the border interstellar space.
