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NASA to Investigate Magnetic Explosions

posted by LaminatorX on Friday March 13 2015, @04:45PM   Printer-friendly
from the cross-the-streams dept.

AnonTechie writes:

Magnetic reconnection could be the Universe's favorite way to make things explode. It operates anywhere magnetic fields pervade space—which is to say almost everywhere. In the cores of galaxies, magnetic reconnection sparks explosions visible billions of light-years away. On the sun, it causes solar flares as powerful as a million atomic bombs. At Earth, it powers magnetic storms and auroras. It's ubiquitous. The problem is, researchers can't explain it.

The basics are clear enough. Magnetic lines of force cross, cancel, reconnect and—Bang! Magnetic energy is unleashed, with charged-particles flying off near the speed of light. But how? How does the simple act of criss-crossing magnetic field lines trigger such a ferocious explosion?

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2015/10mar_mms/

[Also Covered By]: http://phys.org/news/2015-03-nasa-magnetic-explosions.html

 
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  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 13 2015, @06:35PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 13 2015, @06:35PM (#157393)

    Well everyone knows you're not to cross the streams, else BOOM!

            Egon Spengler: There's something very important I forgot to tell you.
            Peter Venkman: What?
            Spengler: Don't cross the streams.
            Venkman: Why?
            Spengler: It would be bad.
            Venkman: I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad"?
            Spengler: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
            Ray Stantz: Total protonic reversal!
            Venkman: Right. That's bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by tibman on Friday March 13 2015, @06:44PM

    by tibman (134) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 13 2015, @06:44PM (#157396)

    Egon Spengler: I have a radical idea. The door swings both ways. We could reverse the particle flow through the gate.
            Peter Venkman: How?
            Spengler: We'll cross the streams.
            Venkman: Excuse me, Egon, you said crossing the streams was bad.
            Ray Stantz: Cross the streams...
            Venkman: You're gonna endanger us, you're gonna endanger our client. The nice lady who paid us in advance before she became a dog.
            Spengler: Not necessarily. There's definitely a very slim chance we'll survive. [team ponders]
            Venkman: I love this plan! I'm excited to be a part of it. Let's do it!
            Winston Zeddmore: This job is definitely not worth eleven-five a year!

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