How do solar flares interfere with electronic devices on Earth?
Energetic particles traveling at the speed of light impact the Earth’s atmosphere. They don’t hit the ground directly, but create a “shower” of secondary particles. They can directly interfere with electronics in space (or in highflying aircraft over the poles) by flipping a “bit” in the computer memories. This can cause a “phantom command” that can cause the loss of a spacecraft (by turning on a steering jet, for example). On the ground, the effects to electronics can be caused by the increased ionization in the ionosphere causing radio disruptions. Electronics can also be harmed several days later, when the blast of plasma from the Sun (a “Coronal Mass Ejection”) hits the Earth and affects the ionosphere. Electrical currents in the ionosphere can induce currents electrical systems on the ground and blow transformers and delicate systems. Dr.
