After 60 years of study, researchers from NASA (the United States space agency) have discovered a fundamental electric field in the atmosphere of planet Earth.
The findings come decades after attempts to prove the existence of the global energy field and were published in the scientific journal Nature on Wednesday (28).
According to the scientists involved in the research, the electric field is ambipolar, that is, it affects both negative charges (electrons) and positive charges (ions). It is located 250 km above the atmosphere.
The field now explains the force that was previously said to be “mysterious” behind the “polar wind” a continuous stream of charged particles from Earth’s poles into space. The team not only confirmed and quantified the strength of the field, but also showed that it shapes the sky by increasing the height and density of the ionosphere.
“It’s going against gravity and basically lifting the sky. It’s like a conveyor belt that’s lifting the atmosphere into space,” said Glyn Collinson, one of the researchers, in a video released by NASA about the discovery.
The confirmed hypothesis of the existence of the field occurred thanks to the launch of a suborbital rocket in the Arctic, two years ago, sent to try to prove the theory.
Check out the mini-documentary released about the discovery
This content was originally published in NASA discovers electric field fundamental to Earth’s atmosphere; find out more on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
