Scientists have detected and measured an invisible electric field called the ambipolar field that surrounds Earth for the first time. This field was hypothesized over 60 years ago.
The ambipolar field counters gravity and strips particles from the atmosphere into space. It is caused by solar radiation ionizing atoms in the ionosphere, separating electrons and positively charged ions.
To maintain charge neutrality, an electric field emerges between electrons and ions to keep them together. This puffs up the atmosphere and allows some ions to escape into space in phenomena like the polar wind.
The field is very weak, around 0.55 volts, but this is enough to tug on hydrogen ions 10.6 times stronger than gravity and increase ionosphere density by 271%.
Detecting this field allows scientists to better understand how it has shaped Earth and its atmosphere over time, and possibly influenced the evolution of life. It is a fundamental part of how our planet works.
The research was published in Nature and detected the field using measurements from NASA’s Endurance rocket mission that reached 477 miles altitude in 2022.
Source: ScienceAlert (https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-detect-invisible-electric-field-around-earth-for-first-time)
