Climate sensors may float eternally within the stratosphere utilizing daylight

A tool that makes use of variations in temperature to levitate may maintain small sensors floating indefinitely within the stratosphere, reminiscent of for monitoring the climate

By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

Small sensors powered solely by daylight may float within the stratosphere indefinitely and make weather-related measurements.

There’s a recognized impact for levitating flat objects with two sides referred to as photophoresis. This happens when one of many sides absorbs a number of gentle and the opposite little or no, making a distinction in temperature. Similar to how temperature variations within the ambiance trigger winds, this temperature gradient makes molecules transfer in such a method as to create a lifting drive on the thing.

Benjamin Schafer …