The Discovery of the Ambipolar Electric Field
A team of NASA scientists worked with researchers from the University of Leicester to publish a stunning study in the journal Nature.
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According to this new study, the Earth doesn’t have two energy fields — it has three.
The Cause of Polar Winds
This study began as an attempt to officially identify and measure the ambipolar electric field. This field has only ever been theorized. It had never been measured before this study.
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However, the field has long been thought of, especially as it appears to be responsible for the polar winds that drive weather patterns around the planet.
A “Great Invisible Force”
This theorized electric field has been described as a “great invisible force”, as it helps to lift the sky up.
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It works hand in hand with gravity and the magnetic field to make Earth a habitable place for humans, animals, and other forms of life.
Measuring the Field
To officially measure this electric field for the first time in history, scientists sent up a rocket to measure the region.
Source: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Wikimedia Commons
This rocket was launched from Ny-Alesund in Svalbard, Norway, the world’s most northerly launch pad which is only a few hundred miles away from the North Pole.
The Only Place in the World This Could Happen
Studying this field was no easy task, as scientists had to travel to the only place in the world where this rocket launch could successfully measure this electric field.
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Professor Suzie Imber, a co-author of this study and a space physicist from the University of Leicester, explained, “Svalbard hosts the only rocket range in the world where you can fly through the polar wind and make the measurements we needed.”
What Scientists Discovered
Thanks to this rocket launch, scientists were able to discover that hydrogen ions face an outward force from the ambipolar electric field. This force is about 10.6 times stronger than gravity.
Source: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Wikimedia Commons
The study’s co-author Alex Glocer, who is also the Endurance project scientist at NASA Goddard, stated, “That’s more than enough to counter gravity – in fact, it’s enough to launch them upwards into space at supersonic speeds.”
A Vital Part of Earth
Dr. Glyn Collinson, the principal investigator of the Endurance Mission at NASA Goddard, explained that this discovery was a long time coming, as scientists knew there was something there.
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Collinson explained, “Whenever spacecraft have flown over the poles of the Earth they have felt this supersonic wind of particles called the polar wind.”
Looking for an Invisible Force
Collinson further added that they knew they had to search for this remarkable invisible force. However, they struggled at first.
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“There must be some invisible force lurking there responsible for this outflow, but we’ve never been able to measure it because we didn’t have the technology,” Collinson said.
How Our Planet Works
Collinson concluded that this field — which is actually extremely weak — is a vital part of how our planet works.
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Collinson added, “This field is so fundamental to understanding the way the planet works. It’s been here since the beginning alongside gravity and magnetism. It’s been wafting particles to space and stretching up the sky since the beginning.”
The Importance of Energy Fields
This amazing discovery has further highlighted how the three energy fields Earth has are incredibly important.
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Collinson explained, “What makes Earth the special place that we all call home? One of the reasons may be to do with the energy fields that our planet creates. One of them is gravity. It’s important for life because it’s holding our atmosphere up. The second field is the magnetic field that’s protecting our planet from the stream of particles that comes from the sun.”
Finding the Third Field
Now that scientists have finally been able to measure this third energy field, they can understand how our planet has evolved over time.
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“Our rocket has discovered, and finally measured, number three. Now that we’ve finally measured it, we can begin learning how it’s shaped our planet as well as others over time,” Collinson concluded.