Scientists seek to understand the elusive properties of stellar and galactic cosmic rays before searching for life on exoplanets.
astrophysics
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A New Approach to Characterizing Space Plasmas
When plasma particle velocity distributions have multiple, distinct parts, treating each as a separate beam may yield more intuitive results.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
All Hands on Deck to Catch Ion Cyclotron Waves
An international armada of orbiting satellites and ground VLF network join forces to form a “magnetosphere-ionosphere observatory” to size up electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves in the magnetosphere.
Posted inNews
Ghostly Particles from the Sun Confirm Nuclear Fusion
Using the Borexino particle detector—located deep underground in Italy—researchers spot elusive neutrinos from the Sun’s CNO cycle.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
“Electron Wings” Can Interfere with Spacecraft Measurements
Spacecraft sometimes produce a form of electrical self-interference as they zip through plasmas in space—a previously unreported effect that may be lurking in old data sets.
Posted inNews
More Than Just Astronomy: Radio Telescopes for Geophysics
Linking an existing network of radio telescopes with satellite radar would make it possible to measure ground displacements in a globally consistent way, scientists propose.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
First Inside Look at Hot and Cold Ions in Jupiter’s Ionosphere
The first in-situ ion observations from NASA’s Juno spacecraft reveal the surprising, simultaneous presence of cold protons and hot oxygen and sulfur ions in the high-latitude ionosphere of Jupiter.
Posted inNews
New Proof That Accretion Disks Align with Their Black Holes
In the most detailed and highest-resolution black hole simulation to date, an international team of researchers showed the Bardeen-Petterson effect for the first time.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Red and Green Aurora Stop and Go for Different Reasons
Green-line arc is found to be embedded within large-scale upward field aligned currents while red-line-only arc is found to be associated with low-energy precipitation bursts.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Bringing Clarity to What Drives Auroras
A new classification scheme helps researchers distinguish what accelerates the electrons that create auroras.