The field-aligned electric currents that circulate within the Earth's polar atmosphere now bear the name of the man who first hypothesized their existence through laboratory simulation. Kristian Birkeland, a physicist and astronomer, spent his career elucidating the mechanics of the aurora borealis, a pursuit that required him to invent entirely new industrial technologies to secure necessary research funding.
Auroral Physics and Experimental Models
Birkeland conducted extensive research into magnetic field data during expeditions to Norway’s high-latitude regions between 1899 and 1900. By utilizing vacuum chambers and a terrella—a magnetized sphere representing the Earth—he modeled the interaction between electron beams and geomagnetic poles. He concluded that solar-emitted electrons were guided into polar regions to produce auroral light, a theory now confirmed as the modern explanation for these phenomena. His 1908 publication detailed the system of field-aligned currents that today are recognized globally as Birkeland currents.
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To finance his scientific work, Birkeland turned to commercial invention. He initially developed an electromagnetic cannon, but the device failed to reach predicted velocities. A pivot occurred following an encounter with engineer Sam Eyde, leading to the creation of the Birkeland–Eyde process for nitrogen fixation. This technology, implemented through the formation of the company Norsk Hydro, provided the financial stability required for his academic interests. While the process was eventually superseded by the Haber and Ostwald methods, it proved economically vital to Norway at the time.
Scientific Legacy and Controversies
Birkeland’s theories faced significant resistance from mainstream geophysicists, including Sydney Chapman, who argued that currents could not traverse a vacuum. His work remained a point of contention for decades, until space-based magnetometer data from the satellite 1963-38C confirmed the existence of these currents in 1967. Beyond his work on the aurora, Birkeland published theories in 1913 regarding the ubiquity of plasma in space, suggesting that the universe was filled with electric ions and corpuscles long before such concepts were widely accepted.
Personal Life and Final Days
Born in 1867 in Christiania, Birkeland was the son of Reinart and Ingeborg Birkeland. He married Ida Charlotte Hammer in 1905, though the couple divorced in 1911. Toward the end of his life, he suffered from severe paranoia exacerbated by the use of barbital. While visiting the University of Tokyo in 1917, he died at the Hotel Seiyoken. A post-mortem examination determined he had ingested 10 grams of barbital, a dosage far exceeding the recommended 0.5 grams.
Fast facts
- Born: 1867, Christiania
- Died: 15 June 1917, Tokyo
- Occupation: Physicist and professor
- Notable Recognition: Commander of the Order of St. Olav
- Award: Fridtjof Nansen Award of Excellence (1908)
- Membership: Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
- Burial Site: Vestre gravlund
- Nobel Prize Nominations: 7
Questions readers ask
Why were Birkeland's theories controversial?
Mainstream scientists, led by Sydney Chapman, argued that electric currents could not travel through the vacuum of space, dismissing Birkeland's hypothesis as a fringe theory.
How did Birkeland fund his research?
He funded his scientific expeditions through the development of industrial inventions, most notably the Birkeland–Eyde process for nitrogen fixation and the establishment of Norsk Hydro.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Oslo
- Fields of research: physics
