Unlocking the Secrets of the Universe: Researchers Use High-Powered Lasers to Study Magnetic Reconnection

Magnetic Reconnection in a Solar Flare

Screenshot from NASA’s Conceptual Image Lab on “Magnetic Reconnection Throughout the Solar System.” Magnetic reconnection occurs when anti-parallel magnetic fields—in this case, found in solar flares—collide, break, and realign. The process produces a high-energy explosion that flings particles across space. Credit: NASA Conceptual Image Lab

Scientists use powerful laser beams to create miniature solar flares in order to study the process of magnetic reconnection.

Scientists employed twelve high-powered laser beams to simulate miniature solar flares in order to investigate the underlying mechanisms of magnetic reconnection, a fundamental astronomical phenomenon.

Contrary to popular belief, the universe is not empty. Despite the phrase “the vast emptiness of space,” the universe is full of various substances such as charged particles, gases, and cosmic rays. While celestial objects may appear to be scarce, the universe is teeming with activity.

One such driver of particles and energy through space is a phenomenon called magnetic reconnection. As the name suggests, magnetic reconnection is when two anti-parallel magnetic fields—as in two magnetic fields going in opposite directions—collide, break, and realign. As innocuous as it sounds, it is far from a calm process.

“This phenomenon is seen everywhere in the universe. At home, you can see them in solar flares or in Earth’s magnetosphere. When a solar flare builds up and appears to ‘pinch’ out a flare, that is a magnetic reconnection,” explains Taichi Morita, assistant professor at Kyushu University’s Faculty of Engineering Sciences and first author of the study. “In fact, auroras are formed as a result of charged particles expelled from the magnetic reconnection in Earth’s magnetic field.”

Nonetheless, despite its common occurrence, many of the mechanisms behind the phenomena are a mystery. Studies are being conducted, such as in Read More

Share on Google Plus
    Blogger Comment
    Facebook Comment

0 Comments :

Post a Comment