What are These “Magnetic Bubbles” at the Edge of the Solar System?

This is an excerpt of additional information regarding this absolutely bizarre discovery:

A gem from NASA Heliophysics and the Science Visualization Studio. The sun’s magnetic field spins opposite directions on the north and south poles. These oppositely pointing magnetic fields are separated by a layer of current called the heliospheric current sheet. Due to the tilt of the magnetic axis in relation to the axis of rotation of the Sun, the heliospheric current sheet flaps like a flag in the wind. The flapping current sheet separates regions of oppositely pointing magnetic field, called sectors. As the solar wind speed decreases past the termination shock, the sectors squeeze together, bringing regions of opposite magnetic field closer to each other.

The comments on this video thread are quite spirited which is often the case in regards to findings like these.

One of the commenters DC has an interesting related question:

Why do the ribbons of magnetic field stack up?  Is there a density change in the plasma that causes them to bounce back like sound waves reaching the edge of a given temperature layer in the ocean?

We hope you enjoy the video and we’re looking forward to finding more about this phenomena.



12 Comments

  1. Dave Gonzalez said:

    If they are at the end of the universe how can they tell if they are magnetic? Can you actually visually detect magnetism?

  2. Rob Fitch said:

    It’s an interstellar blockade set up by every other species in the universe designed to keep the disease that is humanity from spreading and infecting anything outside our solar system.

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