In 1937, Alfvén argued that if
plasma pervaded the universe, it could then carry electric currents capable of generating a galactic magnetic field. After winning the Nobel Prize for his works in
magnetohydrodynamics, he emphasized that: In order to understand the phenomena in a certain plasma region, it is necessary to map not only the magnetic but also the electric field and the electric currents. Space is filled with a network of currents which transfer energy and momentum over large or very large distances. The currents often pinch to filamentary or surface currents. The latter are likely to give space, as also interstellar and intergalactic space, a
cellular structure. His theoretical work on field-aligned electric currents in the aurora (based on earlier work by
Kristian Birkeland) was confirmed in 1967, these currents now being known as
Birkeland currents. British scientist
Sydney Chapman was a strong critic of Alfvén. Many physicists regarded Alfvén as espousing
unorthodox opinions R. H. Stuewer noting that "... he remained an embittered outsider, winning little respect from other scientists even after he received the Nobel Prize..." and was often forced to publish his papers in obscure journals. Alfvén recalled: When I describe [plasma phenomena] according to this formalism most referees do not understand what I say and turn down my papers. With the referee system which rules US science today, this means that my papers are rarely accepted by the leading US journals. Alfvén played a central role in the development of: •
Plasma physics •
Charged particle beams •
Interplanetary medium •
Magnetospheric physics •
Magnetohydrodynamics •
Solar phenomena investigation (such as the
solar wind) •
Aurorae science In 1939, Alfvén proposed the theory of
magnetic storms and auroras and the theory of
plasma dynamics in the
Earth's
magnetosphere. This was the paper rejected by the U.S. journal
Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity. Applications of Alfvén's research in space science include: •
Van Allen radiation belt theory • Reduction of the
Earth's magnetic field during
magnetic storms •
Magnetosphere (protective plasma covering the Earth) • Formation of
comet tails • Formation of the
Solar System •
Dynamics of plasmas in the galaxy •
Physical cosmology Alfvén's views followed those of the founder of magnetospheric physics,
Kristian Birkeland. At the end of the nineteenth century, Birkeland proposed (backed by extensive data) that electric currents flowing down along the Earth's magnetic fields into the atmosphere caused the aurora and polar magnetic disturbances. Areas of technology benefiting from Alfvén's contributions include: •
Particle accelerators • Controlled
thermonuclear fusion •
Hypersonic flight •
Rocket propulsion •
Reentry braking of
space vehicles Contributions to astrophysics: • Galactic magnetic field (1937) • Identified nonthermal
synchrotron radiation from astronomical sources (1950)
Alfvén waves (low
frequency hydromagnetic plasma
oscillations) are named in his honor, and propagate at the Alfvén speed. Many of his theories about the solar system were verified as late as the 1980s through external measurements of cometary and planetary magnetospheres. However, Alfvén himself noted that astrophysical textbooks poorly represented known plasma phenomena: A study of how a number of the most used textbooks in astrophysics treat important concepts such as
double layers,
critical velocity,
pinch effects, and circuits is made. It is found that students using these textbooks remain essentially ignorant of even the existence of these concepts, despite the fact that some of them have been well known for half a century (e.g, double layers, Langmuir, 1929; pinch effect, Bennet, 1934). Alfvén reported that of 17 of the most used textbooks on astrophysics, none mention the pinch effect, none mentioned critical ionization velocity, only two mentioned circuits, and three mentioned double layers. Alfvén believed the problem with the
Big Bang was that astrophysicists tried to extrapolate the origin of the universe from
mathematical theories developed on the blackboard, rather than starting from known observable phenomena. He also considered the Big Bang to be a
myth devised to explain creation. Alfvén and colleagues proposed the
Alfvén–Klein model as an alternative
cosmological theory to both the
Big Bang and
steady state theory cosmologies. == Personal life ==