A team of scientists have discovered a band of antiprotons orbiting the Earth near the inner Van Allen Belt.

The antiprotons were detected by the team of Italian scientists working on PAMELA Space Mission that studies particles in the Earth’s magnetosphere. Antiprotons are formed due to the interaction of cosmic rays and the exosphere.

The researchers found the antiprotons belt after an 850 day mission using several subdetectors on the PAMELA satellite. The amount of these antioprotons were much higher than what would b expected outside of the radiation belts.

The research is to be published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on August 20.