Keiichi Helium (IMAGE)

Southwest Research Institute

Keiichi Helium

Caption

A new study led by Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Keiichi Ogasawara indicates that helium pickup ions are a wellspring of solar energetic particles. These high-energy accelerated particles travel at speeds twice as fast as during times of quiet solar activity. But when they are boosted by solar shocks, such as coronal mass ejections, they can penetrate spacecraft and spacesuits, posing a radiation hazard to astronauts.

Credit

NASA Scientific Visualization Studio/ANIL RAO/Univ. of Colorado/MAVENNA/NASA GSFC

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