Van Allen belt
From Fresh Dictionary
Contents |
[edit]
English
[edit]
Etymology
From James Alfred Van Allen, US physicist.
[edit]
Noun
- Either of two torus-shaped areas of high-energy charged particles which partly surround Earth, trapped by its magnetic field. The areas are characterised by intense radiation. When the belts "overload", particles strike the upper atmosphere and fluoresce, causing the polar aurora.
- Any of similar areas around another planet.
[edit]
Synonyms
[edit]
Translations
Van Allen belt
|