This new research will help scientists better understand the “space weather”, which will be useful for satellites, power companies and airlines, among others. It will also allow a more detailed understanding of how space storms affect the Earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists have long known that the “diffuse aurora” is caused by electrons that bombard the upper atmosphere. However, the trapped electrons are usually much higher in the Earth’s magnetic field through a long chain of events that begins in the Sun The enigma has been on how these electrons reach the atmosphere.

Since the seventies, scientists have debated whether radio waves of very low frequency (VLF) could scatter the electrons trapped in the atmosphere. Two types of VLF waves in space were identified as possible causes of the diffuse aurora, but despite years of research, has not been possible to obtain conclusive results. Now, however, new research shows that VLF waves in the class known as “Chorus” (“Coro”) are responsible for the phenomenon.

Through a detailed analysis of data obtained from satellites, the study’s authors, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and BAS (British Antarctic Survey), have managed to calculate the effects of trapped electrons and identify which waves cause radio dispersion.

Richard Thorne, UCLA, is the author of the research.