2024 solar storm triggered ultrarelativistic electrons inside Earth's 'impenetrable barrier'
The Earth is surrounded by an invisible barrier that was thought to prevent highly energetic electrons from reaching closer to our planet. But in 2024, Japan's Arase space probe detected these electrons well inside the barrier. Now, research led by Nagoya University has found evidence that the electrons were accelerated locally rather than infiltrating from outer radiation belts.
In May 2024, Japan's Arase space probe detected high-energy electrons well within Earth's impenetrable radiation barrier. Professor Yoshizumi Miyoshi from Nagoya University led a study that found evidence these electrons were accelerated locally, not infiltrating from outer belts. The Earth's magnetic field traps charged particles in two donut-shaped Van Allen belts, but electrons near the inner edge of the second belt encounter an invisible wall.
This barrier, discovered in 2014, is believed to be caused by low-frequency radio waves or human-made transmissions. During the May 2024 superstorm, Earth's plasmasphere retreated closer to the planet, allowing hotter electrons to penetrate deeper and generate chorus waves. These waves, caused by intense electromagnetic activity, transferred energy to electrons and accelerated them.
The slow recovery of plasma density after the storm further facilitated this local acceleration of high-energy electrons. This discovery highlights the potential for severe space weather events to breach Earth's previously protected radiation zone, impacting spacecraft and underscoring the importance of understanding and predicting such phenomena.
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