The lower-energy particles may play a larger role in magnetic reconnection than previously believed, influencing space weather near Earth.
plasmas
How Earth’s Outer Radiation Belts Lose Their Electrons
A new analysis of three space storms reveals the mechanisms of particle loss from the Van Allen belts.
Angles of Plasma Ropes near Mars Point to Different Origins
Variation in the orientation of flux rope features in Mars’s magnetotail suggests that some of them form on the planet’s Sun-facing side and travel to the night side.
New Findings from Old Data
Recalibrated and reanalyzed data from the Voyager flybys of Jupiter 40 years ago, presented in a series of papers in JGR: Space Physics, show the value of archival data.
Observing Mercury’s Brilliant Flares from Earth
Researchers make the first short-term observation of sodium flares in Mercury’s exosphere.
Auroras May Explain an Anomaly in Earth’s Ionosphere
A new study finds that the ionospheric anomaly over the Weddell Sea is likely influenced by proximity to auroral energy input, rather than by tilting magnetic fields.
Hubble Reveals Less Studied Regions of Jupiter’s Auroras
With a dose of fiery plasma, the secondary arcs of Jupiter’s aurora shine bright.
How “Whistling” Plasma Waves Shape Earth’s Radiation Belts
The Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth shrink and swell due to plasma waves moving through them, an analysis of satellite data suggests.
Calculating Plasma Waves—With a Twist
What happens when two plasmas with different temperatures overlap? The answer depends on a quantum effect that twists the waves as they ripple through the sea of electrons.
Scientists Probe the Calm After Solar Storms
In forecasting the effects of solar storms, understanding how they subside—and not just how they arrive—will be crucial.