News Release 15-070 - Video
Solar plasma interacting with Earth's magnetic field
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The visualization of a scientific numerical model reveals a turbulent front generated by a solar wind interacting with Earth's magnetic field during a powerful solar storm. Large disturbances, including high velocity jets, can penetrate deep inside the Earth's magnetosphere and result in space weather effects such as loss of communications satellites and widespread blackouts.
Credit: Numerical simulation by Blue Waters user Homa Karimabadi, Mahidhar Tatineni and Vadim Roytershteyn, University of California, San Diego; data visualization by NCSA's AVL team