For the first time, an invisible and weak energy field known as the ambipolar field has been detected and measured around Earth, marking a significant scientific discovery. Hypothesized over 60 years ago, the ambipolar electric field is believed to be as fundamental to Earth’s dynamics as its gravity and magnetic fields. The recent measurements by a NASA suborbital rocket, named Endurance, reveal the critical role this field plays in shaping our planet’s atmosphere.
Discovery of the Ambipolar Field
The existence of the ambipolar field was first proposed in the 1960s to explain a mysterious “polar wind,” a supersonic stream of particles observed escaping Earth’s atmosphere near the poles. While some atmospheric particles were expected to escape into space, the cold, fast-moving particles of the polar wind hinted at an underlying, yet undetected force. This force, theorists suggested, could be an electric field originating in the ionosphere—a layer of the atmosphere filled with charged particles.
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Despite its theorized existence, the ambipolar field remained undetectable for decades due to its incredibly weak nature, with fluctuations only noticeable over hundreds of miles. However, recent advancements in technology enabled NASA scientists, led by Glyn Collinson of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, to design new instruments specifically for the task.
Endurance Mission: The Hunt for the Invisible Field
In May 2022, the Endurance rocket was launched from Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago near the North Pole, which offered the ideal location to collect data from the polar wind. The mission’s name was a nod to the ship that carried explorer Ernest Shackleton to Antarctica in 1914, symbolizing endurance in the face of daunting challenges.
The Endurance rocket reached an altitude of 768 kilometers (477 miles) and collected data over a 518-kilometer (322-mile) range. The measurements detected a tiny electric potential difference of just 0.55 volts—about as strong as a watch battery. Despite its weakness, this was the first direct measurement of the ambipolar field, confirming its role in the polar wind.
Understanding the Ambipolar Field’s Impact
The ambipolar field emerges in the ionosphere when ultraviolet solar radiation ionizes atmospheric atoms, creating positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons. The lighter electrons attempt to escape into space, while the heavier ions are drawn toward Earth, resulting in an electric field that tethers the particles together.
This electric field is strong enough to overcome gravity’s pull on hydrogen ions, propelling them into space at supersonic speeds. Heavier oxygen ions are also lifted to higher altitudes, increasing the ionosphere’s density by 271 percent compared to its density without the ambipolar field. The presence of this field acts like a conveyor belt, continuously lifting atmospheric particles into space.
New Era in Atmospheric Science
The discovery of the ambipolar field opens new avenues for understanding Earth’s atmosphere and its evolution over time. Since the field is generated by atmospheric dynamics, similar fields are expected to exist on other planets, such as Venus and Mars. This could provide critical insights into the conditions that make a planet habitable.
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“Now that we’ve finally measured it, we can begin learning how it’s shaped our planet as well as others over time,” said Collinson.