Scientists from the University of Leeds and the University of Chicago have now looked at fluid dynamics and electrically conducting fluids. They conclude that the Earth must have become magnetized either before or as a result of the collision. They claim this could help constrain theories of Earth-Moon formation and inform future research into what happened. This updated assessment is based on the resiliency of Earth’s magnetic field, which is maintained by a geodynamic, a rotating fluid that carries electricity to the outer core. Professor David Hughes, an applied mathematician at the School of Mathematics at the University of Leeds, said: “Our new idea is to point out that our theoretical understanding of the Earth’s magnetic field today can tell us something about the formation of the Earth itself – System moon. “At first glance, this seems somewhat strange, and previous theories had not recognized this potentially important connection.” Professor Fausto Cattaneo, an astrophysicist at the University of Chicago, said: “A curious property of the Earth’s dynamo is that it can maintain a strong magnetic field, but not amplify a weak one.” Therefore, scientists concluded that the Earth’s field could not be turned back on if it was turned off or reduced to a very low level. Professor Cattaneo said, “This remarkable feature allows us to make inferences about the history of the early Earth, including, possibly, how the Moon formed.” Professor Hughes added: “And if that’s true, then you have to think, where did the Earth’s magnetic field come from in the first place?” “We hypothesize that it got into this strange state to begin with, either before the impact or as a direct result of the impact.” “Either way, any realistic model of the formation of the Earth-Moon system must include the evolution of the magnetic field. Journal Reference: