Science, Space and Technology News 2024
The University of Birmingham spearheads research to redefine understanding of near-Earth space particles, questioning traditional models and aiming to enhance space weather forecasts. Credit: NASA/Van Allen Probes/Goddard Space Flight Center New insights into near-Earth space’s hazardous environment could revolutionize space weather prediction, driven by collaborative international research.
A challenge to space scientists to better understand our hazardous near-Earth space environment has been set in a new study led by theThe research represents the first step towards new theories and methods that will help scientists predict and analyze the behavior of particles in space. It has implications for theoretical research, as well as for practical applications such as space weather forecasting.The research focused on two bands of energetic particles in near-Earth space, referred to as the Radiation Belts, or the Van Allen Belts. These particles are trapped within the Earth’s magnetosphere and can damage electronics on satellites and spacecraft passing through, as well as posing risks to astronauts. Understanding how these particles behave has been a goal for physicists and engineers for decades. Since the 1960s, researchers have used principles contained within ‘quasilinear models’ to explain how the charged particles move through space.In the new study, however, researchers have found evidence that the standard theory might not apply as often as previously assumed. The team of 16 scientists, from institutions in the UK, USA, and Finland, explored the limits of standard theories. The application of the quasilinear theory can seem straightforward, but in fact integrating it into space physics models in accordance with scientific measurements made in space is a delicate procedure. This paper breaks down the challenges behind this process.Lead author, Dr. Oliver Allanson, from the Space Environment and Radio Engineering Group at the University of Birmingham, said: “Gaining a better understanding of the behavior of these particles is crucial for interpreting satellite data and for understanding the underlying physics of space environments.” Researchers involved in the study are based in the UK at the Universities of Birmingham, Exeter, Northumbria, Warwick, St Andrews, and at the British Antarctic Survey; in the USA at the University of California at Los Angeles,and the US Air Force Research Lab, New Mexico; and in Finland at the University of Helsinki. Next steps for the research will include an enhanced theoretical description based on the findings in this work, which can then be used in space weather models to forecast the behavior of these hazardous particles in near-Earth space. Reference: “The challenge to understand the zoo of particle transport regimes during resonant wave-particle interactions for given survey-mode wave spectra” by Oliver Allanson, Donglai Ma, Adnane Osmane, Jay M. Albert, Jacob Bortnik, Clare E. J. Watt, Sandra C. Chapman, Joseph Spencer, Daniel J. Ratliff, Nigel P. Meredith, Thomas Elsden, Thomas Neukirch, David P. Hartley, Rachel Black, Nicholas W. Watkins and Sean Elvidge, 27 February 2024,SciTechDaily: Home of the best science and technology news since 1998. Keep up with the latest scitech news via email or social media.How much time do planets have to form from a swirling disk of gas and dust around a star? A new University of Arizona-led study…
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