Scientists have recorded mysterious "bird chirping" in space: how this strange phenomenon can be explained

Scientists have unexpectedly discovered "bird chirping" outside the Earth. According to the study, these are not some space birds, but a strange extraterrestrial phenomenon.

Scientists explain that flashes of electromagnetic waves sound like birds chirping when they are converted into audio signals. However, these "chorus waves" were recorded at a distance of more than 100,000 kilometers from the Earth in a region where experts did not expect to find them, Newsweek writes.

The study, conducted by China's Beihang University, challenges existing theories about how these waves are formed and could improve understanding of space weather, experts say.

What is this sound?

Scientists explain that choral waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation that propagates along the power lines of the Earth's magnetic field. When they are converted into sound, their increasing frequencies imitate the high notes of birds.

According to the researchers, such waves have previously been observed only at distances closer to the Earth - about 51,000 kilometers. However, the new detection at a much greater distance expands the known range of these waves and raises questions about their formation, experts say.

Previous research

Since the 1960s, scientists have detected these waves using various instruments, including NASA's Antarctic research stations and Van Allen Probes.

Also, a similar discovery was made with the help of NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites launched in 2015 to study the magnetic interaction between the Earth and the Sun.

Scientists note that the waves were detected in a region called the neutral layer of the Earth's middle tail, located on the side of the Earth that is turned away from the Sun. In this region, the magnetic field of our planet is strongly distorted, lacking the "magnetic dipolar effect".

According to experts, choral waves, which last only a fraction of a second, play a role in the formation of the Earth's radiation belts. These belts protect the planet from solar storms, but they can also produce high-energy "killer electrons" that threaten satellites, astronauts, and communication systems.

Latest study

The new study found that waves interact with electrons to create spirals and electron "holes" similar to processes seen near Earth even in this remote region.

"This is one of the strongest and most significant waves in space," said study author Chengming Liu of Beihang University.

"It is a surprising result in a surprising region. It prompts further investigation of chorus waves in regions in which Earth's magnetic field deviates substantially from a dipole," said Professor Richard Horne, Head of Space Weather at the British Antarctic Survey.

Scientists hope that the data obtained can improve forecasts of space weather events that could disrupt technology and communications on Earth. Future missions may also test whether similar waves occur near other planets. After all, they were previously detected around Jupiter and Saturn.

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