What Happens When Solar Wind Hits Earth? Experts Explain Using Sound Waves [LISTEN]

When solar wind energy interacts with the magnetospheric 'bubble' encircling Earth, it generates energy waves that appear to be stationary.

Based on Imperial scientists' study, this discovery advances the knowledge of the circumstances that lead to 'space weather.' Phys.org said the weather from outer space could affect anything from communications satellites in orbit to electricity lines on the ground.

The solar wind is a stream of charged particles released by the Sun. The magnetosphere, a bubble formed by the Earth's magnetic field, protects us on the surface from this onslaught.

Waves of energy are transmitted along the boundary between the magnetosphere and the solar wind when they collide. Scientists expected the waves to ripple in the same way as the solar wind. Still, new research shows that some waves do the opposite.

Researchers detailed their study, titled "Magnetopause Ripples Going Against the Flow Form Azimuthally Stationary Surface Waves," in Nature Communication.

Examining Waves Through Sound

The electromagnetic data from NASA's THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) satellites were converted into audio by a team of Imperial College London academics. Other individuals can hear the waves traveling over the magnetospheric border thanks to the translation.

Lead researcher Dr. Martin Archer of Imperial College's Department of Physics said in a statement that the satellites could only measure these waves when they give them wavy lines. This type of information is more suited to their sense of hearing than their sense of sight. As a result, listening to the data may frequently provide a more intuitive understanding of what's going on.

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The deep breathing sound of the standing surface waves persisted throughout the experiment, increasing in loudness as each pulse impacted. According to Archer, higher-pitched noises connected with different waves don't last nearly as long as lower-pitched ones.

Standing Waves

Archer and his colleagues said per NASA that the magnetosphere's border vibrates like a drum. Waves speed toward Earth's magnetic poles and are reflected when a drumstick-like pulse from the solar wind impacts the very front of our magnetospheric bubble.

Using a mix of models and data from THEMIS, the current research looks at the waves that develop over the whole surface of the magnetosphere.

According to experts, when solar wind pulses contact the magnetosphere, waves form that rush back and forth along Earth's field lines. It also travels in the opposite direction of the solar wind.

The researchers used simulations to show how the energy of the Sun's wind and the energy of the waves opposing it may cancel each other out, resulting in standing waves,' which have a lot of energy but appear to move nowhere.

According to Dr. Archer, the condition is identical to when a person binds themselves while traveling up a downhill escalator. Even if a person puts forth a lot of effort, it will appear as if they are not moving.

Standing waves can last far longer than those generated by the solar wind. This means they'll be around for longer, accelerating particles in near-Earth space, perhaps causing impacts in places like the Earth's radiation belts, aurora, and ionosphere.

According to the researchers, standing waves may also exist elsewhere in the cosmos, from the magnetospheres of other planets to the outskirts of black holes.