The TWINS fifth anniversary

Earth is surrounded by the dynamic area carrying the name of a magnetosphere. This area is controlled the magnetic and electric forces, energy arriving from the Sun and a matter. Also it is controlled various waves and the processes different from what usually meet in terrestrial physics. In this constantly changing magnetic “bubble” lays the education from the loaded particles which plane coincides with the plane of the terrestrial equator. This belt is called as ring current, and it has essential impact on the space weather. The weather is observing round our planet as it is capable to transfer fluctuations of a magnetic field to Earth or to report harmful superficial charges to cases of spaceships. On June 15, 2008 was begun the research of this mysterious area by the spacecrafts of NASA which have received the name Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers, or the TWINS. These devices move in planes widely divided among themselves. The TWINS are providing a unique three-dimensional view of ring current of Earth. In 5 years of the work the TWINS helped scientists to make three-dimensional maps of this unique area of the magnetospheres which have allowed considerably to improve existing scientific models of a magnetic cover of our planet.


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