Scientists discover the largest magnetic field in the universe. PHOTOS/ THE SUN
This magnetic field has long been theorized to exist but is still too abstract for humans to detect.
READ ALSO – The Earth’s Magnetic Field Is Cracked By High-Speed Solar Wind
Stretched between them are long filaments of plasma, a runny gas full of ionized particles.
The filaments were observed for the first time in 2021 using the MUSE instrument, a 3-D spectrograph installed on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile.
However, what these scientists found was evidence of a faint magnetic field created by the filament as it ionized.
Ionization means the atom has taken an extra electron from another atom or lost an electron to another atom.
The scientists summarized their findings in a new paper in Science Advances, a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
“Our interpretation is well supported by detailed comparisons with state-of-the-art cosmological simulations,” they said
As the electrons move, they generate an electric current along the wire (filament), and an electric current in the general electromagnetic field.
These ions can also emit electromagnetic radiation in the form of light waves. Famous examples are neon lights and the Aurora borealis.
(wbs)
