A new book explores our understanding of electric currents, which are fundamental to the structure and dynamics of space plasmas.
magnetic fields & magnetism
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Heavy Oxygen Ions Escape Earth’s Gravity
A new study reveals that low-frequency electromagnetic waves accompany intense heating events at low altitudes.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Increasing Radiation Levels May Challenge Space Exploration
New research shows that solar radiation levels are growing 10% faster than previously believed and that the radiation environment in space will worsen with time.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How to Build a Better Light Trap
Nanosized chambers capture bits of light for infinite amounts of time.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Evidence That Earth’s Forehead Controls the Wagging of its Tail
Yes, Earth has a tail, a magnetotail, and there is debate about how much Earth’s upper atmosphere plays a role in the controlling the dynamics of this region of space.
Posted inScience Updates
Nordic Workshop Takes on Major Puzzles of Paleomagnetism
8th Nordic Paleomagnetism Workshop; Leirubakki, Iceland, 30 September to 7 October 2017
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Moon’s Magnetic Field May Magnetize Iron That Hits Its Surface
Scientists are using satellite data to study large impact basins on the surface of the Moon that contain magnetic anomalies.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Modeling Geospace: Quantifying the Known-Unknowns
Imperfect knowledge of high-latitude forcing of the coupled ionosphere-theremosphere system translates into uncertainty in the low-latitude and midlatitude response to a geomagnetic storm.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Exploring How Space Weather Can Damage Power Grids
A new model of geomagnetically induced currents revisits how space weather damaged a New Zealand grid transformer in 2001, and shows how much worse it could be in a space weather superstorm.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Sounding Rockets Probe the Northern Lights Above Norway
Scientists measure how the aurora affects winds in the upper atmosphere.