A Magnetosphere of One's Own

[Dover]

A Magnetosphere of One's Own



02:00 AM Dec. 15, 2004 PT

Scientists have built a device that mimics the magnetic fields surrounding the Earth and other planets. They hope to use the device to understand how the Earth's protective magnetosphere works -- and possibly gain insights into how to make fusion a feasible energy source.

This experiment is the first time a high-temperature magnetosphere has been constructed in a lab, said professor Michael Mauel, co-head of the experiment and chair of Columbia University's Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics.

The team consists of scientists from Columbia and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where the device is located. They turned the device on this summer and presented the first findings from the Levitated Dipole Experiment, or LDX, in November.

The LDX is essentially a miniature magnetosphere -- the magnetic field surrounding the Earth that shields the planet from a steady bombardment of plasma (high-energy, ionized atoms) streaming from the sun. This field traps the sun's plasma, protecting the atmosphere and life on the surface. Other planets, like Jupiter, have much stronger magnetic fields while others, like Venus, have none at all....cont'd


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