Posted on 11/20/2008 11:23:12 AM PST by TaraP
Nov. 19, 2008: An international team of researchers has discovered a puzzling surplus of high-energy electrons bombarding Earth from space. The source of these cosmic rays is unknown, but it must be close to the solar system and it could be made of dark matter. Their results are being reported in the Nov. 20th issue of the journal Nature.
"This is a big discovery," says co-author John Wefel of Louisiana State University. "It's the first time we've seen a discrete source of accelerated cosmic rays standing out from the general galactic background."
Galactic cosmic rays are subatomic particles accelerated to almost light speed by distant supernova explosions and other violent events. They swarm through the Milky Way, forming a haze of high energy particles that enter the solar system from all directions. Cosmic rays consist mostly of protons and heavier atomic nuclei with a dash of electrons and photons spicing the mix. To study the most powerful and interesting cosmic rays, Wefel and colleagues have spent the last eight years flying a series of balloons through the stratosphere over Antarctica. Each time the payload was a NASA-funded cosmic ray detector named ATIC, short for Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter. The team expected ATIC to tally the usual mix of particles, mainly protons and ions, but the calorimeter found something extra: an abundance of high-energy electrons
A ANGRY MR CLEAN?
If they are gamma rays, we died several weeks ago. If it’s a blastar, we also died sometime ago. HHmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Well, if there’s static in the ATIC it’s obviously from Planet Z.
[Hopefully a not too obscure B-52 song reference...]
Oh you must learn about Norrin Radd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aVwYq3kt7o&feature=related
Pure Marvel comics epic-ness-osity. ;)
Ok, I’ll go put on my tin foil hat.
Great post, thanks.
You’re welcome. Glad you found it interesting.
Interesting, since they cause lightning. Maybe the Greeks were right ;-)
I did.
It was almost the only one with science in it.
;-)
The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes:
Flood, Fire, and Famine
in the History of Civilization
by Richard Firestone,
Allen West, and
Simon Warwick-Smith
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ping
THX. Interesting.
http://www.ramistrip.com/001%20New%20RAMISTRIP/GALLERY/recon%20apollo%2020.htm
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