Van Allen radiation belt

English

Etymology

From James Alfred Van Allen, US physicist.

Noun

Van Allen radiation belt (plural Van Allen radiation belts)

(astronomy, physics) 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.
Synonym: Van Allen belt

Hypernym: radiation belt

Translations

either of two torus-shaped areas circling Earth

Finnish: Van Allenin säteilyvyöhyke
French: ceinture de radiations de Van Allen f
German: Van-Allen-Strahlungsgürtel m

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