Researchers reveal new data on available oxygen in space: "The solar wind behaves like the water in a flowing river."

A study led by the University of Murcia (UMU) reveals new data on the abundance of oxygen in the Earth's space environment and its impact on space weather, key to protecting satellites and power grids. Just as a meteorologist analyzes clouds and winds to predict rain or storms, scientists who study space also face their own 'meteorology', although instead of clouds and winds, they observe solar particles and magnetic fields that extend beyond the Earth's atmosphere.

Researchers from the University of Murcia's heliophysics team, in collaboration with Spanish, Swedish, and American universities, have published a study on how particles escaping from Earth's atmosphere mix with those emitted by the Sun, a crucial interaction for understanding space weather phenomena that can affect the functioning of navigation systems, satellites, and electrical infrastructure on Earth.

The work, led by researcher Víctor Montagud, a professor in the Department of Electromagnetism and Electronics at the University of Mucuna (UMU), focused on the abundance of oxygen in this region of space.

Thanks to data obtained by NASA 's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission—four satellites flying in formation since 2015—it has been possible to analyze how and when these particles escape from the atmosphere and how they accumulate in certain areas of space.

"The solar wind behaves like flowing river water, and when it encounters the Earth's magnetic field, it surrounds it like a rock. But sometimes, this 'solar wind' finds gaps to slip through ," Montagud explains.

When this happens, the space near Earth becomes a mixture of solar particles and particles of terrestrial origin, as if two air currents were meeting. Understanding this mixture is essential for anticipating space weather phenomena, such as solar storms, coronal mass ejections, or variations in the solar wind, which can have consequences on Earth.

Just as ground-based weather stations help predict a heat wave, space missions like MMS allow scientists to measure changes in Earth's space environment and in the heliosphere— the Sun's outer atmosphere, which reaches to the outer reaches of the solar system.

This breakthrough contributes to improving spatial prediction capabilities, a field that is still young but increasingly relevant in a world highly dependent on satellite technology and telecommunications.

The Murcia team, coordinated by Professor Sergio Toledo, included the participation of researchers from the universities of Granada and Valencia, as well as scientific institutions in Sweden and the United States, the university reports.

The research reflects the leading role of the University of Murcia (UMU) in international projects dedicated to better understanding the complex mechanisms that govern the Earth's space environment.