Cluster’s "Magnetic Reconnection" Data and the Big Picture

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davesmith_au
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Cluster’s "Magnetic Reconnection" Data and the Big Picture

Unread post by davesmith_au » Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:04 am

September 19 ~ Michael Gmirkin

The Cluster results which came in several weeks ago gave scientists a new view of "magnetic reconnection." But have their interpretations of the data given us a complete picture of what’s going on or did they miss the bigger picture? It seems they’ve left electricity out of the equation once again. ...[More...]
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Re: Cluster’s "Magnetic Reconnection" Data and the Big Picture

Unread post by mharratsc » Wed May 13, 2009 2:55 pm

WOW! I just actually read the ESA article that Mike linked in this Thunderblog. I am *astounded* by what I read there.

These 'scientists'... playing with millions of euros of satellite equipment... are trying to show how 'magnetic reconnection' causes "bi-directional energetic electron beams along the magnetic field". Put the cart before the horse much??? Trying to prove that magnetism causes current flow!

These yahoos are getting paid money to research already-known properties of physics... and getting it backwards!!

....

I need some Tylenol... >.<


Mike H.
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Re: Cluster’s "Magnetic Reconnection" Data and the Big Picture

Unread post by MGmirkin » Fri May 15, 2009 12:22 am

Well, as we all know magnetic fields CAN cause currents to flow, or vice versa. But, yes, methinks they put the cart before the horse in this case...

Since magnetic fields are easier to DETECT, there seems to be an emphasis on talking more or less ONLY in terms of magnetic fields. But it seems like that sometimes causes the cart to come before the horse.

Plus there's the erroneous notion of plasma-as-superconductor leading to the erroneous notion of "frozen in" magnetic field lines (IE, plasma acts like a PERMANENT MAGNET and "carries" magnetic fields along with it). *coughbullcough*

Plasma are NOT ideal conductors. Plasmas DO resist the flow of current under all regimes (dark, glow and arc mode). Since resistivity is non-zero in all phases of plasma, plasma cannot be classed an ideal conductor (superconductor). Ergo, charges are not instantly neutralized between discrete regions in plasma. Ergo electric fields can and do exist between discrete regions in a plasma. Ergo magnetic fields can vary in time and CANNOT be "frozen in" to plasma. Ergo, electric currents MUST be considered when considering the genesis of magnetic fields through the non-ideally conductive plasma. And we're back to the domain of James Clerk Maxwell and his Wonderful Equations...

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~Michael Gmirkin
"The purpose of science is to investigate the unexplained, not to explain the uninvestigated." ~Dr. Stephen Rorke
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