wikipedia
English
Etymology
From James Alfred Van Allen, US physicist.
Noun
van|Van Allen radiation belt
- 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.
- Any of similar areas around another planet.
Translations
Finnish: Van Allenin säteilyvyöhyke (1)
Synonyms
Van Allen belt
Category:Astronomy
Category:English eponyms
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