(1914–2006), American physicist. He used balloons and rockets to study cosmic radiation in the upper atmosphere, showing that specific zones of high radiation were the result of charged particles from the solar wind being trapped in two belts around the earth.
Definition of Van Allen, James Alfred in US English:
Van Allen, James Alfred
proper nounvan ˈalən
(1914–2006), US physicist. He used balloons and rockets to study cosmic radiation in the upper atmosphere and showed that specific zones of high radiation were the result of charged particles from the solar wind being trapped in two belts around the earth.