Magnetic fields fill space. The solar wind flows out from the Sun and carries a remnant of the Sun’s magnetic field out into interplanetary space. This interplanetary magnetic field interacts with all the objects in the Solar System. Some of these objects (like Earth or Jupiter) have their own permanent, intrinsic planetary-sized magnetic fields. These interactions create magnetospheres—regions of space around an object that are dominated by the object’s interaction with the solar wind. Other objects (like Mars, Venus, and comets) lack intrinsic permanent magnetic fields but do have atmospheres which can be ionized. When these ionospheres interact with the solar wind, magnetic fields are induced in the ionospheres and the interactions become induced magnetospheres.
What role does a global magnetic field play in the evolution of a planet’s atmosphere and in planetary habitability?
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