High-resolution optical observations of aurorae show fluctuations and structuring that could be explained by interactions between electrons and a plasma phenomenon called Alfvén waves.
magnetic fields & magnetism
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Measuring Deep-Ocean Oxygen with Microscopic Magnetic Fossils
A global comparison of microbial magnetic minerals unlocks a new tool for glimpsing the future of oxygen in Earth’s changing oceans.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Of Cosmic Rains and Delayed Trains
Scientific detective work corrected the date of an early disruption in telegraph service, solidifying the links between solar weather and technological disturbances.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How the 2024 Solar Superstorm Drained Earth’s Radiation Belt
Researchers dig into storm processes linked to dramatic electron loss from the outer Van Allen belt.
Posted inNews
Sharpest-Ever Image of the Sun Shows Small but Mighty Swirls
These tiny instabilities could play an outsized role in energizing the Sun’s corona.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Unveiling Atmospheric Circulation on Mars with Magnetic Field Data
Not only can the magnetometer on NASA’s MAVEN satellite track magnetic fields on Mars; it can also track atmospheric circulation – using machine learning.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Magnetic Face of Plasma Irregularities on Mars
Plasma density irregularity is nothing new on Mars, but the accompanying magnetic field irregularity observed on NASA’s MAVEN satellite is.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Getting to Know Uranus’s “Breathing” Bow Shock
The ice giant’s rotation causes daily expansion and contraction of the boundary where its magnetic field slows the solar wind.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
A New Pathway for Energy Redistribution in Near-Earth Space
In situ evidence of bidirectional wave-particle energy transfer enabled by local magnetic-field gradient reveals an inhomogeneity-driven pathway for energy redistribution.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Turtles May Migrate Using Earth’s Magnetic Field
New research indicates that sea turtles seem to navigate across hundreds of miles of open ocean using Earth’s magnetic field.