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During a rare period of time when the magnetosheath was inside the orbit of geosynchronous
satellites, the IMAGE satellite observed a significant increase in the intensity of
neutral atoms reaching Earth. These particles came in directions of the sky between the location
of the Sun and Earth. Calculations and modelling show that particles from the solar wind are expected to
interact with
the Earth's exosphere to produce almost exactly the data recorded by
IMAGE in these sky directions. This means that some charged solar particles can sneak into Earth's
environment by being converted into neutral particles that are not affected by Earth's magnetic field.
(2001: Michael R Collier, Thomas E Moore, Mei-Ching Fok, Dennis Chornay, Lutz Rastaetter,
Masha Kuznetsova, Ayris Falasca, James Green, Scott Boardsen, Stephen Fuselier,
Steve Petrinec, Michelle Thomsen, David McComas, Tamas I Gombosi)
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