A study conducted by a group of scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder revealed that Earth is being protected by an invisible shield, according to the online magazine Good.
Based on the study, which was published in the weekly scientific journal Nature, the barrier is located 7,200 miles above Earth's surface and lies between the two Van Allen radiation belts. These doughnut-shaped belts contain electrons and protons and were first discovered in 1958 by University of Iowa professor James Van Allen.
The scientists explained that the invisible barrier shields Earth from what they dubbed as killer electrons, which are particles that whiz around the planet. Flying at near light-speed, these electrons can destroy satellites in space and put astronauts at risk.
Daniel Barker, a professor and director of the university's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics department, conducted the study along with his team after noticing that something was preventing the electrons from entering Earth's atmosphere.
Using NASA's Van Allen Probes, which were deployed in 2012, the researchers were able to observe the mysterious barrier. Barker compared it to a force field depicted in a famous science-fiction program.
"It's almost like these electrons are running into a glass wall in space," he told Colorado.edu. "Somewhat like the shields created by force fields on 'Star Trek' that were used to repel alien weapons, we are seeing an invisible shield blocking these electrons."
"It's an extremely puzzling phenomenon," he added.
For now Barker and his team still do not have a definitive answer regarding the exact factors that led to the formation of the invisible barrier. However, he noted that continuous observations will be conducted on the subject to learn more about its characteristics.
"It's not obvious how the slow, gradual processes that should be involved in motion of these particles can conspire to create such a sharp, persistent boundary at this location in space," he said.
"I think the key here is to keep observing the region in exquisite detail, which we can do because of the powerful instruments on the Van Allen probes," Barker added.
