Scientists have discovered a massive particle accelerator in the heart of one of the harshest regions of near-Earth space, a region of charged particles surrounding the globe called the Van Allen radiation belts.
Recent observations by NASA’s twin Van Allen Probes show that particles in the radiation belts surrounding Earth are accelerated by a local kick of energy, helping to explain how these particles reach speeds of 99 percent the speed of light. Credit: G. Reeves/M. HendersonView associated news item