The formation is located high above the planetary surface

Jan 27, 2012 14:14 GMT  ·  By
This is one of the CLUSTER satellites, seen here undergoing pre-launch preparations
   This is one of the CLUSTER satellites, seen here undergoing pre-launch preparations

In a series of previous studies, researchers proposed the existence of an atmosphere layer containing cold, electrically-charged particles, way above the planetary surface. The latest investigation into this issue reveals that to be true, as scientists discover cold plasma layer at the top of the atmosphere.

Theoretical predictions estimated the layer to be located tens of thousands of miles above the surface of the planet. The study was able to determine that the idea was correct, but also that the plasma is significantly more abundant at this location than first calculated.

One of the most interesting aspects related to these ions is that they are extremely cold, about 1,000 degrees beyond what scientists would dub hot plasma. Still, they retain significant amounts of energy, the equivalent of being a part of plasma heated at 1 million degrees Fahrenheit (500,000ºC).

The new investigation was carried out between 12,400 and 60,000 miles (20,000 and 100,000 kilometers) above the planetary surface. In the past, researchers focused more on lower altitudes, at about 60 miles (100 km) above the surface, Space reports.

The new discovery was made by one of four spacecraft in the CLUSTER constellation, which is operated by the European Space Agency (ESA). “It is surprising we found the cold ions at all with our instrument,” Mats André explains.

The researcher holds an appointment as a space scientist at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Uppsala. “It was not at all designed to do this. It was designed to observe electric fields,” he adds.

What the spacecraft also revealed was that the cold ions were able to influence the behavior of electric fields around the spacecraft itself. At first, this made the CLUSTER science team worried that something had gone wrong with the instrument.

“The more you look for low-energy ions, the more you find. We didn't know how much was out there. It's more than even I thought,” André adds. And they're widespread, too, the expert says, reaching out to about a third of the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

Deepening our understanding of our planet's atmosphere could allow solar physicists to model the impact of solar flares and coronal mass ejections with increased accuracy, contributing to improving space weather predictions.

Details of the new investigation were published in the December 23 issue of the esteemed scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters.