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Pioneer 10 at Silver Au Describes Sun's atmosphereAlmost 4 billion kilometers from the Sun, Pioneer 10's findings paint a detailed picture of the solar atmosphere. The heliosphere is now believed to be a huge magnetic bubble created by the solar wind and gets its tear-shape from streamlining due to the motion of the solar system through the interstellar gas. The skin of the bubble, the region between stellar and interstellar gas, is believed to lie between 50 and 100 AU from the Sun. The solar wind drags the Sun's magnetic field with it. The bubble, probably extends far beyond Pluto, and is believed to breathe, expanding and contracting like a giant cosmic lung with each 11 year cycle. The most recent findings show that as storms on the Sun build up toward maximum solar activity, they send out shock waves throughout the bubble which cause ripples. This long lived solar storm turbulence accelerates low energy cosmic ray particles coming in from the galaxy, deflecting them out of the solar system, and shielding the planets. As distance from the Sun increases, more and more cosmic ray particles penetrate the heliosphere.
Document ID
19810019588
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Other - News Release/Speech
Date Acquired
August 29, 2013
Publication Date
August 3, 1981
Subject Category
Launch Vehicles And Space Vehicles
Report/Patent Number
P81-10111
NASA-NEWS-RELEASE-81-110
Accession Number
81N28126
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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