Observations Reshape Basic Plasma Wave Physics
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- Visualizations by:
- Tom Bridgman
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- Written by:
- Mara Johnson-Groh
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- Scientific consulting by:
- Daniel Gershman
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- Produced by:
- Genna Duberstein
- View full credits
New light has been shed on the invisible forces shaping our near-Earth environment, unveiling a fundamental physical phenomenon. Using a specialized suite of instruments aboard NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale – or MMS – spacecraft, scientists found the first observational proof of a fifty-year-old theory and uncovered new, unexpected complexities in the small-scale dynamics of a type of plasma wave, known as a kinetic Alfvén wave. The results may lead to improved nuclear fusion techniques for generating energy more efficiently.
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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Visualizer
- Tom Bridgman (Global Science and Technology, Inc.) [Lead]
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Science writer
- Mara Johnson-Groh (Wyle Information Systems) [Lead]
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Scientist
- Daniel Gershman (NASA/GSFC) [Lead]
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Producer
- Genna Duberstein (ADNET Systems, Inc.) [Lead]
Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Related Pages
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ID: 4560 Visualization
Alfvén Waves - Basic
Read moreAlfven waves represented by undulation in the magnetic field vector. || AlfvenWaveBasic_staticXwide_inertial.HD1080i.0300_print.jpg (1024x576) [158.5 KB] || AlfvenWaveBasic_staticXwide_inertial.HD1080i.0300_thm.png (80x40) [4.6 KB] || AlfvenWaveBasic_staticXwide_inertial.HD1080i.0300_web.png (320x180) [71.9 KB] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/WavesOnly/ (1920x1080) [128.0 KB] || AlfvenWaveBasic_staticXwide.HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [34.0 MB] || AlfvenWaveBasic_staticXwide.HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [4.9 MB] ||
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ID: 4561 Visualization
Alfvén Waves - Kinetic
Read moreKinetic Alfven waves represented by undulation in the magnetic field vector. || AlfvenWaveKinetic_staticXwide_inertial.HD1080i.0300_print.jpg (1024x576) [155.7 KB] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/WavesOnly/ (1920x1080) [128.0 KB] || AlfvenWaveKinetic_staticXwide.HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [37.9 MB] || AlfvenWaveKinetic_staticXwide.HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [4.9 MB] ||
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ID: 12618 Produced Video
How Plasma Transports Energy
Read moreFor the first time, NASA scientists see how energy is transported in a plasma. || Story_Cover_AlfvenWaveParticles.Kinetic.MediumGyro.vzAlfvenDG4_staticXclose_inertial.HD1080i.0200_print.jpg (1024x576) [142.6 KB] || Story_Cover_AlfvenWaveParticles.Kinetic.MediumGyro.vzAlfvenDG4_staticXclose_inertial.HD1080i.0200_print_print.jpg (1024x576) [139.9 KB] || Story_Cover_AlfvenWaveParticles.Kinetic.MediumGyro.vzAlfvenDG4_staticXclose_inertial.HD1080i.0200_print_searchweb.png (320x180) [84.0 KB] || Story_Cover_AlfvenWaveParticles.Kinetic.MediumGyro.vzAlfvenDG4_staticXclose_inertial.HD1080i.0200_print_thm.png (80x40) [6.2 KB] ||
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