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Swarm

  • In addition to forming the plasma jets, Birkeland currents also contribute to the aurora borealis or northern lights
    Science
    Supersonic plasma jets discovered in Earth's upper atmosphere
    The ESA's Swarm satellites have found a strange system at work in the upper atmosphere. Electrical fields created as solar winds interact with the planet’s magnetic field have been found to drive supersonic plasma jets, which can heat the ionosphere to temperatures as high as 10,000º C (18,032º F).