How the University of Hong Kong and UCLA are tackling the decades-long space battery mystery

Researchers from HKU and UCLA resolved a decades-long aurora mystery. Led by Dr. Yao Zhonghua, they decoded the “space battery” concept. The solar wind delivers energy stored by a planet’s magnetic field. They proved that magnetic field waves power the particle acceleration zone. Using big data, the team aligned rare satellite measurements. This quantitative analysis perfectly matched deep space energy calculations. This mechanism also applies directly to Jupiter. Ultimately, understanding these acceleration mechanisms helps predict disruptive space weather. This weather severely threatens modern infrastructure like GPS and power grids.

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https://www.timeshighereducation.com/research/university-hong-kong/how-university-hong-kong-and-ucla-are-tackling-decades-long-space-battery-mystery