Scientists have detected mysterious “chirping waves” thousands of miles from Earth, potentially rewriting our understanding of space travel. These waves, resembling bird calls near Earth but detected far away, could accelerate particles to deadly speeds, endangering spacecraft and astronauts.
Chirping waves are disturbances in Earth’s electromagnetic field that emit high-speed particles. First observed in 1960s, they were thought to occur nearby. Now, researchers have spotted them at a distance of 100,000 miles (165,000 kilometers) from Earth for the first time. This discovery challenges existing theories about their origin and implications.
The waves are produced by plasma instability in curved dipoles like planetary magnetic fields. However, their detection in a flat region suggests they may arise from frequency changes rather than dipole structures. To understand this, scientists propose monitoring solar-driven plasma activity and its interaction with Earth’s magnetosphere.
“If the gradients expected under existing theories still apply,” wrote Richard Horne of the British Antarctic Survey, “this finding doesn’t rule them out but requires closer investigation.” The discovery could have profound implications for future space travel to Mars or beyond.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/potentially-deadly-chirping-waves-detected-in-baffling-location-near-earth-and-scientists-are-stumped