Van Allen belt

Van Allen 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 belt — Van Al′len belt [[t]væn ˈæl ən[/t]] n. phs either of two atmospheric regions of high energy charged particles, one at an altitude of about 2000 mi. (3200 km) and the other at from 9000 to 12,000 mi. (14,500 to 19,000 km) • Etymology: 1955–60;… …   From formal English to slang

  • 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

  • Van Allen belt — noun Etymology: James A. Van Allen Date: 1958 a belt of intense radiation in the magnetosphere composed of energetic charged particles trapped by the earth s magnetic field; also a similar belt surrounding another planet …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Van Allen belt — n. (also Van Allen layer) each of two regions of intense radiation partly surrounding the earth at heights of several thousand kilometres. Etymology: J. A. Van Allen, US physicist b. 1914 …   Useful english dictionary

  • Van Allen belt — /væn ˈælən/ (say van aluhn) noun either of two regions above the earth (one at a height of about 4000 km, another at about 20 000 km) in which charged particles are trapped by the earth s magnetic field. {named after James Alfred Van Allen,… …  

  • Van Allen belt — noun each of two regions of intense radiation partly surrounding the earth at heights of several thousand kilometres. Origin 1950s: named after the American physicist J. A. Van Allen …   English new terms dictionary

  • 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-Gürtel — Van Allen Strahlungsgürtel Der Van Allen Strahlungsgürtel (benannt nach James van Allen) ist ein Ring (Torus) energiereicher geladener Teilchen, die durch das magnetische Feld der Erde eingefangen werden. Diese Teilchen stammen überwiegend vom… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Van Allen radiation 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

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