Magnetosphere

A rendering of the magnetic field lines of the magnetosphere of the Earth.

In astronomy and planetary science, a magnetosphere is a region of space surrounding an astronomical object in which charged particles are affected by that object's magnetic field.[1][2] It is created by a celestial body with an active interior dynamo.

In the space environment close to a planetary body with a dipole magnetic field such as Earth, the field lines resemble a simple magnetic dipole. Farther out, field lines can be significantly distorted by the flow of electrically conducting plasma, as emitted from the Sun (i.e., the solar wind) or a nearby star.[3][4] Planets having active magnetospheres, like the Earth, are capable of mitigating or blocking the effects of solar radiation or cosmic radiation; in Earth's case, this protects living organisms from harm. Interactions of particles and atmospheres with magnetospheres are studied under the specialized scientific subjects of plasma physics, space physics, and aeronomy.

  1. ^ "Magnetospheres". NASA Science. NASA.
  2. ^ Ratcliffe, John Ashworth (1972). An Introduction to the Ionosphere and Magnetosphere. CUP Archive. ISBN 9780521083416.
  3. ^ "Ionosphere and magnetosphere". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2012.
  4. ^ Van Allen, James Alfred (2004). Origins of Magnetospheric Physics. Iowa City, Iowa USA: University of Iowa Press. ISBN 9780877459217. OCLC 646887856.