NASA has recently made a remarkable discovery: an electric field surrounding Earth, known as the ambipolar electric field. This marks the first time scientists have successfully measured this global phenomenon, which is believed to be just as vital as gravity and magnetism for our planet.
The research stems from NASA’s Endurance mission, which looked at the upper atmosphere where air escapes into space. Scientists first proposed the existence of this electric field over 50 years ago, suggesting it could influence how particles leave Earth’s atmosphere at the poles, giving rise to what they termed the "polar wind."
Dr. Glyn Collinson, who leads the Endurance project at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, stated, “Something had to be drawing these particles out of the atmosphere.” Earlier ideas linked particle outflow to solar radiation, but this new research indicates a subtle electric field plays a significant role.
To investigate this, the Endurance mission set off from Svalbard, Norway—a unique location that allows scientists to launch rockets through the polar wind. On May 11, 2022, the Endurance rocket climbed to an altitude of approximately 477 miles (768 kilometers), capturing critical data. Astoundingly, it detected a weak electric potential of just 0.55 volts, comparable to that of a watch battery.
The implications of this electric field are significant. It is powerful enough to lift hydrogen, one of the gases in Earth’s atmosphere, into space at supersonic speeds. Dr. Alex Glocer, a project scientist on the mission, pointed out that this upward push counters gravity, making it possible for particles to escape without heating up—a puzzle that had confused scientists for decades.
Endurance’s findings indicate that this electric field is gradually pushing substantial amounts of our atmosphere into space and suggests that similar processes may have played a role in shaping the atmospheres of other planets, like Mars. Understanding these dynamics can provide insights into how different atmospheres maintain conditions favorable for life.
This discovery aligns Earth with other celestial bodies, hinting that all planets with atmospheres might possess such electric fields. As Collinson notes, “Any planet with an atmosphere should have an ambipolar field.” With this new understanding, scientists can explore how these forces have influenced Earth’s atmosphere through time and better understand the atmospheric behaviors on other planets.
For more insights, including the full research findings, you can check out the study published in the journal Nature here.
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