A team of American scientists has confirmed the existence of a bubble-like structure enveloping the Sun and all of its planets, including Earth.
This bubble is not a metaphor; it is a real, literal bubble, according to Professor of Astronomy Merav Opher from Boston University and the Center for Astrophysics (part of Boston University), who leads the research.
The strange bubble-like structure as described by the research team, causing cosmic rays (in red) to bend away – (Photo: Merav Opher).
Professor Opher and her colleagues used a special computer model, combined with data from NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft, which has wandered to the very edge of the Solar System.
According to astrophysicist James Drake from the University of Maryland, a member of the research team, this bubble structure is created by the Sun, using powerful jets that protect the planets by preventing harsh cosmic rays from entering the heliosphere.
Their model shows that neutral hydrogen particles emitted from the outer region of the Solar System play a crucial role in forming this heliospheric bubble. The Sun’s jets collide with cosmic rays in the galaxy, creating a wall-like structure that is invisible and stable, causing cosmic rays to bend away from the heliosphere, according to Phys.org.
The shape of this bubble remains controversial, although many other research groups are also trying to prove its existence. Professor Opher’s team provides an image of a distorted bubble, while some models from other research groups suggest it may have a more elongated shape or a tail like a comet.
The study was recently published in the Astrophysical Journal.
