Growing magnetic fields in deep space: Just wiggle the plasma

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Astrophysicists have long wondered how cosmic magnetic fields fields are produced, sustained, and magnified. Scientists have shown that plasma turbulence might be responsible, providing a possible answer to what has been called one of the most important unsolved problems in plasma astrophysics.
via Science Daily
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Evidence of outburst flooding indicates plentiful water on early Mars

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The presence of water on Mars has been theorized for centuries. Early telescopes revealed ice caps, and early astronomers noted channels that were hypothesized to be natural rivers or creature-created canals.
via Science Daily
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Laser tech could be fashioned into Earth's 'porch light' to attract alien astronomers

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If extraterrestrial intelligence exists somewhere in our galaxy, a new study proposes that laser technology on Earth could, in principle, be fashioned into something of a planetary porch light -- a beacon strong enough to attract attention from as far as 20,000 light years away.
via Science Daily
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Electrically charged dust in microgravity is surprisingly orderly

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In a lab on Earth, electrically charged dust generally lines up either along the downward pull of gravity or across it. Scientists got a surprise when examining data from a similar experiment on the International Space Station orbiting 248 miles above Earth. Rather than the dust bouncing around randomly, the dust often wiggled around in straight lines, even without gravity.
via Science Daily
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A stellar achievement: Magnetized space winds in the laboratory

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New insights have been gained about stellar winds, streams of high-speed charged particles called plasma that blow through interstellar space. These winds, created by eruptions from stars or stellar explosions, carry with them strong magnetic fields which can interact with or effect other magnetic fields, such as those that surround planets like Earth. To understand these processes, researchers are employing laboratory experiments to study magnetic flows up close.
via Science Daily
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Magnetic pumping pushes plasma particles to high energies

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The solar wind is not a calm summer breeze. Instead, it is a roiling, chaotic mess of turbulence and waves. There is a lot of energy stored in this turbulence, so scientists have long thought that it heats the solar wind. However, the heating expected from turbulence is not the heating observed. Scientists now have a new idea about what heats the solar wind, a theory called magnetic pumping.
via Science Daily
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