NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have recently detected cosmic waves that produce sounds reminiscent of birds chirping, but what makes this discovery even more intriguing is the unexpected location where these waves were found. Known as chorus waves, these plasma bursts emit frequencies within the human hearing range, and when translated into audio signals, their high-pitched notes closely resemble the calls of birds.
While such sounds have been previously recorded in space, the latest detection marks a significant breakthrough, as the chirping waves were measured from a distance of over 62,000 miles (100,000 kilometers) from Earth — a location where scientists had never captured such waves before. This finding opens up new avenues for research into the physics of space phenomena and how Earth’s magnetic field could influence such activities.
Allison Jaynes, a space physicist at the University of Iowa who was not directly involved in the study, expressed excitement about the implications of this discovery. She stated, “That opens up a lot of new questions about the physics that could be possible in this area.”
For decades, chorus waves have been detected using radio antennas. Early records of these waves date back to the 1960s when scientists picked them up at an Antarctic research station. The Van Allen Probes, NASA’s twin spacecraft designed to study Earth’s radiation belts, have also recorded these sounds, but the recent detection by NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellites represents a much farther location, beyond anything previously observed.
Chorus waves, which have been spotted near other planets, including Jupiter and Saturn, have the potential to produce high-energy electrons capable of disrupting satellite communications. They are considered among the strongest and most significant waves found in space, influencing the behavior of the Earth’s radiation belts and potentially having broader implications on communication technologies in space.
The newly observed chorus waves were discovered in a region where Earth’s magnetic field is extended further than scientists had expected. This raises several intriguing questions about how these chirping waves form and what other physical phenomena may be taking place in that area of space. Chengming Liu, a study author from Beihang University, referred to the discovery as “very captivating, very compelling.”
This breakthrough could pave the way for more investigations into the complexities of space weather and magnetic fields. For further exploration into cosmic waves and related phenomena, check out additional resources from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
