NASA scientists have confirmed the existence of a third global energy field surrounding Earth, called the ambipolar electric field. This newly discovered force propels charged particles into space above the planet’s poles, adding to the two known global energy fields – the gravity field generated by Earth’s mass, and the electromagnetic field produced by the churning metals in the core.
Since the 1960s, spacecraft flying over Earth’s poles have typically detected unexpected amounts of particles, termed in this case the “polar wind,” which flow out of the atmosphere at supersonic speeds even though these particles remained cold. An observation so baffling that scientists developed a theory of it actually producing the ambipolar electric field that could explain the phenomenon. According to the hypothesis, the field originates at altitudes of around 250 kilometers (150 miles) above the poles; where electrons are more easily stripped from hydrogen and oxygen atoms, leaving behind those positively charged ions.
The ambipolar electric field is one of electrons and ions strongly attracting one another, resulting in a denser atmosphere at higher altitudes over the poles. It is extremely weak and only detectable across vast distances, which makes it difficult to measure.
NASA’s Endurance mission was launched in May 2022 to test this theory. The mission’s rocket, launched from Svalbard, Norway, studied the atmosphere at altitudes up to 768 kilometers (477 miles). Scientists detected a small change of 0.55 volts, which, although faint, is enough to explain the polar wind. Hydrogen ions, the most common in this wind, are accelerated into space by this electric field at forces over ten times stronger than gravity.
With the ambipolar electric field now confirmed, scientists can begin exploring its influence on the atmosphere’s evolution throughout Earth’s history, opening new avenues of research on our planet’s complex energy systems.
