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Magnetic explosions in space

The magnetic field that surrounds the Earth is rarely quiet. An explanation for the explosive nature of magnetic storms is gathering support from satellite data.

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Figure 1: Magnetic storm in the Northern Hemisphere imaged by the Visible Imaging System on the Polar spacecraft in July 2000.

NASA

Figure 2: What happens to magnetic field lines and plasma flows during magnetic explosions.

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Correspondence to James F. Drake.

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Drake, J. Magnetic explosions in space. Nature 410, 525–526 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35069160

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