Energetic collisions between magnetic fields produce gusty solar wind.
magnetic reconnection
Posted inFeatures
Space Raindrops Splashing on Earth’s Magnetic Umbrella
Though not as damaging as extreme space weather events, showers of plasma jets hit Earth’s magnetic shield every day—yet we’re only beginning to understand their effects.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Hidden Atmospheric Particles Sculpt Near-Earth Space Environment
Charged particles escape our atmosphere following Earth’s magnetic field and constitute a main source of matter that modulates Sun-Earth interactions.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Could Low-Altitude Reconnection Power Jupiter’s Polar Aurorae?
Magnetic reconnection events less than 2 Jovian radii above the planet’s cloud tops could explain why Juno has yet to observe a source for Jupiter’s polar aurore.
Posted inScience Updates
The Space Weather Modeling Framework Goes Open Access
A versatile suite of computational models, already used to forecast magnetic storms and potential power grid and telecommunications disruptions, is preparing to welcome a larger group of users.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Spacecraft Reveal New Details of Magnetic Reconnection
Energetic electrons are accelerated directly by magnetic reconnections and can act as tracers of large-scale magnetic field conditions.
Posted inNews
Bringing Clarity to Magnetic Reconnection
A particle-level process appears to play a key role in planet-sized events throughout the universe.
Posted inEditors' Vox
New Results Concerning Solar Wind Entry into the Magnetosphere
A new book describes recent results defining the many pathways and foreshock, bow shock, magnetosheath, and magnetopause phenomena connecting the solar wind to the dayside magnetosphere.
Posted inNews
Scientists Claim a More Accurate Method of Predicting Solar Flares
Supercomputer 3D modeling of magnetic fields could help mitigate damage from geomagnetic storms.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Deciphering Electron Signatures in Earth’s Magnetic Tail
A new analysis of spacecraft data collected near the tip of Earth’s magnetotail sheds light on how geomagnetic activity affects the motion of electrons in this region.