Van Allen radiation belt

Van Allen radiation belt
a) 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.
b) Any of similar areas around another planet.

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  • Van Allen radiation belt — Van Allen radiation belts The Van Allen radiation belt is a torus of energetic charged particles (plasma) around Earth, which is held in place by Earth s magnetic field. It is believed that most of the particles that form the belts come from… …   Wikipedia

  • Van Allen radiation belt — ☆ Van Allen radiation belt [van al′ən ] n. 〚after James A. Van Allen (1914 ), U.S. physicist〛 1. a broad, doughnut shaped region surrounding the earth and composed of high energy electrons and protons trapped in the earth s magnetic field at… …   Universalium

  • Van Allen radiation belt — ☆ Van Allen radiation belt [van al′ən ] n. [after James A. Van Allen (1914 ), U.S. physicist] 1. a broad, doughnut shaped region surrounding the earth and composed of high energy electrons and protons trapped in the earth s magnetic field at… …   English World dictionary

  • van allen radiation belt — va]ˈnalə̇n , və] noun Usage: usually capitalized V&A Etymology: after James A. Van Allen b1914 American physicist : a belt of intense ionizing radiation that surrounds the earth in the outer atmosphere, has particles carrying energies of from… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Van Al|len belt — «van AL uhn», = Van Allen radiation belt. (Cf. ↑Van Allen radiation belt) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Van Allen — may refer to:* Van Allen Building, a four story building * Van Allen radiation belt, a torus of energetic charged particles around EarthPeople named Van Allen:* Cornelius Van Allen Van Dyck (1819 1895), American missionary * James Van Allen (1914 …   Wikipedia

  • Van Allen, James A. — ▪ American physicist in full  James Alfred Van Allen  born Sept. 7, 1914, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, U.S. died Aug. 9, 2006, Iowa City, Iowa  American physicist, whose discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts (Van Allen radiation belt), two zones of …   Universalium

  • Van Allen belt — noun a) 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… …   Wiktionary

  • Van Allen belt — Physics. either of two regions of high energy charged particles surrounding the earth, the inner region centered at an altitude of 2000 mi. (3200 km) and the outer region at an altitude between 9000 and 12,000 mi. (14,500 and 19,000 km). Also… …   Universalium

  • radiation belt — noun : van allen radiation belt …   Useful english dictionary

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