Force Fields
Earth has its own 'Star Trek'-like force field, study
suggests
A cloud of charged gas around Earth, the plasmasphere, interacts with
particles in Earth's radiation belts to create a barrier.
The University of Colorado Boulder has announced a discovery 7,200 miles
above Earth of a protective shield similar to the force fields you might see
in "Star Trek."
The discovery of this barrier in the Van Allen radiation belts suggests a
new explanation for how "killer electrons" are held at bay. This invisible
shield, which was found at the inner edge of the outer Van Allen belt,
protects against high-energy electrons, which have the potential to fry
satellites, threaten astronauts and degrade space systems during intense
solar storms.
"It's almost like these electrons are running into a glass wall in space,"
said Daniel Baker, director of CU-Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and
Space.
"Somewhat like the shields created by force fields on 'Star Trek' that were
used to repel alien weapons, we are seeing an invisible shield blocking
these electrons. It's an extremely puzzling phenomenon."
The phenomenon challenges existing theories that these electrons drift into
the upper atmosphere and are destroyed by air molecules.
"It's like looking at the phenomenon with new eyes, with a new set of
instrumentation, which give us the detail to say, 'Yes, there is this hard,
fast boundary,' " said John Foster, associate director of MIT's Haystack
Observatory and a study co-author.
Does this have any potential for scientific innovation into force fields on
Earth? Lets hope so.
A star trek type of force field does not exist except in the form of a
Clemson student walking on a cross walk using a cell phone oblivious to
the reality they are in danger of being run over.
Back To StreamZones.com
AnyCalculator.com
ExactWeather.com
Uber U Cams