Scientists have unlocked the secrets of auroras and how their explosive energy can tell us what is happening millions of miles from Earth.
Auroras are a tell-tale sign of physical processes in space, according to researchers who have tracked a single aurora for four minutes as part of their landmark study.
The aurora began as a line of 'auroral beads' along an arc which grew exponentially in brightness and size.
Scientists say these growing ripples are a hallmark of an instability in space, which they have now been able to pinpoint for the first time.
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A close study of auroras has revealed new ways of understanding the physics of explosive energy releases in space, according to new research (stock image)
For the study, researchers from UCL and the University of Reading remotely observed rapidly evolving aurora to understand the physics behind why, when and how energy is released as the source of the aurora explosively reconfigures.
'Somewhere in the huge volume of space into which Earth's magnetosphere stretches, this energy release occurs via instability which is really hard to pinpoint', said study author Dr Jonathan Rae, of UCL's Space & Climate Physics department.
'They cause substorms whereby charged particles surf into the Earth's atmosphere on electromagnetic waves, releasing large amounts of energy and lighting up the aurora', said Dr Rae.
'By studying auroras closely, we can map back to where in space the instabilities are occurring and study the physics that cause them.
'It's much more efficient than trying to observe vast areas of space', he said.
Their research shows us what is happening in our planet's magnetic field which stretches into a long tail facing away from the sun.
The team scanned a large portion of the sky and found the perfect substorm located over Poker Flats in Alaska on 18 September 2012.
By using new data from the MOOSE (Multi-spectral Observatory Of Sensitive EM-CCDs) camera, they tracked the aurora as it moved towards the northern pole over a four minute period.
This is a relatively long time for this type of aurora to be studied, allowing the scientists to collect a wealth of data.
The information was then analysed for specific patterns that gave important physical clues about the aurora's formation in space and time.
Auroras are a tell-tale sign of physical processes in space, experts say, acting like TV screens. They show us what happens millions of miles away from Earth where our planet's magnetic field stretches into a long tail facing away from the Sun (stock image)
By comparing these detailed characteristics from the aurora with state of the art theory, the team could narrow down the area of space where the instability most likely is.
'We've shown that it's possible to only study aurora to find out where instabilities are in space, which has not been done before,' explained co-author Dr Colin Forsyth from UCL.
'Our method allows us to predict what the instability is and where it is in space.
'In fact, the region we've identified is incredibly small in space terms - only a small fraction of the volume of the Earth - and we hope to study it in more detail using spacecraft that pass through the area.'
Until now, scientists have been able to describe aurora and high energy events that occur on the sun and other planets within the solar system, but is the first time real physical analysis has been done.
'Importantly, our work has given scientists more physics to work with', said co-author Dr Clare Watt from the University of Reading.
'A whole range of theoretical models can be tested and refined based on the physical characteristics we've captured,' she said.
'What we've reported has eluded scientists since auroras were first described in the 1960s and while we use Earth as our closest laboratory, the findings will apply to other events elsewhere in the solar system', said Dr Rae.
'We now look forward to pinpointing this epicentre in space and finding out what makes it unstable'.
The full findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications.
WHAT ARE AURORAS AND WHAT TRIGGERS THE STUNNING NATURAL DISPLAYS?
The Northern and Southern Lights are natural light spectacles triggered in our atmosphere that are also known as the 'Auroras'.
There are two types of Aurora - Aurora Borealis, which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south.'
The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
There are two types of Aurora - Aurora Borealis (file photo), which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south.' The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere
Usually the particles, sometimes referred to as a solar storm, are deflected by Earth’s magnetic field.
But during stronger storms they enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles, including hydrogen and helium.
These collisions emit light. Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are common.
https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/15/mystery-of-auroras-is-revealed-scientists-unlock-the-secrets-of-their-explosive-energy/
Main photo article Scientists have unlocked the secrets of auroras and how their explosive energy can tell us what is happening millions of miles from Earth.
Auroras are a tell-tale sign of physical processes in space, according to researchers who have tracked a single aurora for four minutes as part of their la...
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Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
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