This unique simulation snapshot reveals high-speed jets of plasma forming in Earth’s magnetosphere. These jets are parcels of solar wind that can penetrate deep inside Earth’s protective magnetic shield and cause strong space weather effects. Researchers were able to clear up longstanding mysteries about the origin and behavior of the jets by running innovative simulations on the Pleiades supercomputer, located at the NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) facility at Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. Pleiades provides modeling and simulations capability for NASA missions in aeronautics, exploration and science. Such simulations provide a more realistic picture of magnetosphere-solar wind interactions, which will help scientists develop more accurate space weather forecasting that supplies crucial time to mitigate any damage solar storms may cause to critical infrastructure.
For more information about the NAS and to view the simulation video, visit: http://www.nas.nasa.gov/publications/articles/feature_space_weather_Kari…