Friday, February 22nd 2013, 10:49 AM EST A constant stream of
particles and electromagnetic waves streams from the sun toward
Earth, which is surrounded by a protective bubble called the
magnetosphere. A scientist at NASA Goddard has recently devised,
for the first time, a set of equations that can help describe
waves in the solar wind known as Alfven waves. Credit: European
Space Agency (ESA) Many areas of scientific research -- Earth's
weather, ocean currents, the outpouring of magnetic energy from
the sun -- require mapping out the large scale features of a
complex system and its intricate details simultaneously.
Describing such systems accurately, relies on numerous kinds of
input, beginning with observations of the system, incorporating
mathematical equations to approximate those observations,
running computer simulations to attempt to replicate
observations, and cycling back through all the steps to refine
and improve the models until they jibe with what's seen.
Ultimately, the models successfully help