The solar system may be shaped like a croissant - Daily Mail

This bubble, known as the heliosphere, acts to shelter objects in the solar system from powerful cosmic radiation emanating from supernovas, the final explosions of dying stars across the universe.

The heliosphere acts as a shield that protects the planets from interstellar radiation.

Now a study led by Boston University has found the reason why this heliosphere is shaped into a pastry-like form, and it's all to do with neutral hydrogen particles from interstellar space.  .

Named because they have equal amounts of positive and negative charge, therefore carrying no charge at all, these particles make the heliospheric jets unstable and cause them to bend inwards.

The heliosphere acts to shelter objects in the solar system from powerful cosmic radiation emanating from supernovas, the final explosions of dying stars across the universe.

Now a study led by Boston University has found the reason why this heliosphere is shaped into a pastry-like form, and it's all to do with neutral hydrogen particles from interstellar space.

The question Opher and her team wanted to answer was why it is shaped that way and how heliospheric jets become unstable.  .

Using a computer model, researchers found that when the neutral hydrogen particles were taken out of the simulation, the jets coming from the sun became 'super stable'

Using a computer model, researchers found that when the neutral hydrogen particles were taken out of the simulation, the jets coming from the sun became 'super stable'

But when they were put back, 'things start bending, the centre axis starts wiggling, and that means that something inside the heliospheric jets is becoming very unstable,' Opher said

The researchers said this happens because of the interaction of the neutral hydrogen particles with the ionized matter in the heliosheath — the outer region of the heliosphere.