Enigmatic new type of solar phenomenon discovered: large-scale blast waves rich with helium-3 particle emissions
Two teams of researchers from the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center in the USA and from the Max Planck Institute of Solar System Research in Germany have independently discovered a completely new solar phenomenon — large-scale blast waves in the sun’s atmosphere accompanied by energetic particle emissions rich in helium-3, a light, non-radioactive variety of inert helium gas whose protons can, during the fusion process, interact with electromagnatic fields, resulting in the direct net production of electricity.
The new discovery of blast waves, which differ from more easily detectable solar flares and coronal mass ejections, was made possible from data collected by NASA’s STEREO and ACE satellites during a rare simultaneous geometric 2010 view of the sun not likely to occur again. Since the ACE satellite orbits close to earth, researchers believe that helium-3 particles being propelled by the solar blast waves at approximately 300 kilometers per second into space are reaching the earth’s atmosphere.
“The new phenomenon is like a kind of explosion,” said Radoslav Bucik, who headed the team of researchers from Lockheed Martin, Max Planck, Johns Hopkins and the Jet Propulsion Lab.
Sources:
“Blast waves in the sun’s atmosphere” [Physics.org News 2015]
“Helium-3″ [Wikipedia]
