Magnetospheric Multiscale mission has paid off measuring the first shock wave
NASA through the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission made the first measurement of an interplanetary wave, after having spent four years in space. Shock waves are made of particles and thrown by the sun. Thanks to the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft that was at the right time and in the right place to make this great find.
These waves are something strange, like a type of encounter without collision, in which all kinds of particles transfer energy by means of electromagnetic fields. This event is extremely strange, however, it can occur in all existing universes; they also happen in parts like black holes, supernovae, or distant stars.
The MMS mission (Magnetospheric Multiscale)
This mission is in charge of studying and trying to measure strange events in order to understand other phenomena in the universe. These waves start with the sun, which releases particles called "The solar wind", which can come in two types; fast and slow.
This wave develops when a fast air current manages to overcome a slower one creating a shock wave expanding on all sides. As on July 8, 2018, where this mission managed to capture with different instruments an interplanetary collision while it passed near us, the earth; with this data and thanks to Fast Plasma Investigation, which is an instrument that can measure ions apart from electrons around the MMS spacecraft up to 6 times every second.
Due to the data they were able to see on January 8, they noticed a set of ions so that shortly after another one formed by ions that were near the area approached; Analyzing all this the scientists found evidence of some energy transfer since this was raised around the 80s.
Scientists only hope to discover the weakest waves since these are the rarest and the least understood, finding waves like these could help to open a new picture of shock physics.