Probably the most famous result of the Earth’s magnetic field are the Aurora Borealis and Australis (Northern and Southern Lights). When charged particles from the solar wind enter Earth’s magnetic field, they can occasionally create spectacular light shows.
Scientists have thought for years that the charged particles that cause these displays were sent in equal numbers to the North and South Poles.
However, recent research by a team led by scientists at the University of Alberta has shown that more charged particles actually travel north than south. The question now is why?
The data the scientists used was collected by the satellite constellation Swarm – a set of 3 satellites that have been observing Earth’s magnetic field since 2013.
One thing that stood out at the time is that the Earth’s South Magnetic Pole is “further away from the Earth’s rotational axis than the North Magnetic Pole,” said Ivan Pakhotin, the paper’s lead author.
This leads to differences in the reflection of a type of electromagnetic waves known as Alfvén waves, which ultimately cause differences in how the North and South poles interact with the solar wind.
This measured asymmetry can mean anything. First, the chemistry that takes place in the upper atmosphere can vary dramatically between the North and South Poles, which could have significant climate effects on the ground. But it could also mean a discrepancy between the two Auroras.
So far the effects of the asymmetry are unclear, and as with almost all good science, it deserves further investigation. Swarm will continue his mission to collect data relevant to solving the mystery.
In the meantime, those of us lucky enough to experience the Auroras for ourselves may continue to stare up in amazement, however different they are.
This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.