Probably the best known result of the Earth’s magnetic field are Aurora Borealis and Australis (Northern and Southern Lights). When particles charged by the solar wind enter the Earth’s magnetic field, they can occasionally cause spectacular displays of light.
For years, scientists have believed that the charged particles that cause these displays have been sent in equal numbers to the North and South Poles.
However, recent research by a team of scientists at the University of Alberta has shown that there are actually more charged particles heading north than south. The question now is why?
The data that scientists used was collected by the constellation of the Swarm satellite – a set of 3 satellites that observe the Earth’s magnetic field since 2013.
One thing he noticed at the time was that the Earth’s magnetic south pole is “farther from the Earth’s axis of rotation than the magnetic pole,” says Ivan Pakhotin, the paper’s lead author.
This leads to differences in the reflection of a type of electromagnetic wave known as the Alfvén wave, which ultimately causes differences in how the north and south poles interact with the solar wind.
This measured asymmetry could mean any number of things. First, the chemistry that takes place in the upper atmosphere could vary dramatically between the north and south poles, which could have a significant climate impact on the ground. But it could also mean a discrepancy between the two Auroras.
To date, the impact of asymmetry is unclear and, as with all good sciences, this justifies further study. Swarm will continue its mission to collect data that will be relevant to solving the mystery.
Meanwhile, those of us, lucky enough to experience Aurora ourselves, can continue to look up, amazed, no matter how different.
This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.