The data that resulted from the observations of five different satellites was collected and analyzed by a team of specialists led by Charles Chappell, research professor of physics and director of the Dyer Observatory at Vanderbilt University, who did a new research based on it.

The scientists were able to discover the existence of a previously undetected layer, since the data were related to the composition and behavior of the magnetosphere.

The magnetosphere is the invisible shield composed of electrically charged particles, roaming along the pathways imposed by magnetic fields that guards our planet from the regular celestial bombardment of cosmic rays, solar winds and the likes, causing events like the auroras in the process. With the use of a computer simulation of the behavior of low-energy ions originating from the atmosphere, Chappell and his colleagues were able to identify the presence of a new zone of the magnetosphere, a warm plasma cloak and were able to reach different parts of the magnetosphere.

Commencing from the night side, the thin cloak spans for about three quarters of the planetary surface and crosses to the day side and fades into the afternoon side. Furthermore, it is fueled by low-energy charged particles. The key part of the study was the computer model, predicting the motion patterns of the bouncing and drifting ions spiraling through the magnetic field, developed by Dominique Delcourt from the French Centre d'etude des Environments Terrestre et Planetaires, Observatoire de Saint-Maur.

Chappell informed, “We have recognized all the other regions for a long time, but the plasma cloak was a fuzzy thing in the background which we didn't have enough information about to make it stand out. When we got enough pieces, there it was!”

He added, “Although it is invisible, the magnetosphere has an impact on our everyday lives. For example, solar storms agitate the magnetosphere in ways that can induce power surges in the electrical grid that trigger black outs, interfere with radio transmissions and mess up GPS signals. Charged particles in the magnetosphere can also damage the electronics in satellites and affect the temperature and motion of the upper atmosphere.”