New Discovery Shows Galactic Cosmic Rays More Abundant

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by Mitch Battros - Earth Changes Media                                                     July 01 2013

Scientists using Voyager 1 data provides new detail of a region where our solar systems heliosphere (the bubble around our Sun and all its planets) and interstellar space connect. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory have discovered a curious and unexpected charged-particle environment - in a region known as the "magnetic highway". For the first time, scientists can now see the highest level so far of cosmic ray particles from outside the heliosphere coming from our galaxy 'Milky Way'.

Three papers just published in the journal Science, describe how Voyager 1's entry into this region called the magnetic highway, resulted in simultaneous observations of the highest rate so far of charged particles from outside heliosphere and the disappearance of charged particles from inside the heliosphere.

Scientists have seen two of the three signs of interstellar arrival they expected to see…charged particles disappearing as they zoom out along the solar magnetic field and cosmic rays from far outside zooming in. Scientists are looking for a third sign - showing an abrupt change in the direction of the magnetic field indicating the presence of the interstellar magnetic field.

The heliosphere extends at least 8 billion miles (13 billion kilometers) beyond all the planets in our solar system. It is dominated by the Sun's magnetic field and an ionized wind expanding outward from the Sun. Outside the heliosphere, interstellar space is filled with matter from other stars and the magnetic field present in the nearby region of the Milky Way.

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Mitch Battros
Producer - Earth Changes Media
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