Magnetic Greenhouse Effect

By using techniques similar to medical ultrasound, scientists have for the first time developed a way to determine the presence of strong magnetic fields deep inside pulsating giant stars. Magnetic fields play an important role in all stages of stellar evolution, from a star’s formation to its demise. Scientists used astero-seismology to track waves travelling through starts in order to determine their inner properties. It was found that when strong magnetic fields are present in a star’s core, the fields can disrupt the propagation of gravity waves, causing some of the waves to lose energy and become trapped within the core.
The researchers coined the term “magnetic greenhouse effect” to describe this phenomenon.


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