Signature of antimatter detected in lightning

ScienceNews ^ | 11/6/09 | Ron Cowen

[LibWhacker]

Fermi telescope finds evidence that positrons, not just electrons, are in storms on Earth

Washington — Designed to scan the heavens thousands to billions of light-years beyond the solar system for gamma rays, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has also picked up a shocking vibe from Earth. During its first 14 months of operation, the flying observatory has detected 17 gamma-ray flashes associated with terrestrial storms — and some of those flashes have contained a surprising signature of antimatter.

[JoeProBono]

[TheZMan]

That’s awesome. Wonder if that will explain part of the sound generated by a lightning strike, or even a spark.

[dannyboy72a]

So let me get this straight. Scientists are still learning things that change “facts” in science? But they are so certain that they know all the “facts” on global warming - so much that they are willing to bankrupt all of the nations in the industrialized world - specifically US - to stop it.

Global warming = control. If CO2 is bad then they have the “right” to control all those who use/make it - every human being. (sorry to hijack thread...it just reminded me again how little we truly know about this planet, the universe, and interactivity between all entities. The Global Warmests are the most arrogant people on the planet.

[junkman_106]

And some of the most gullible and stupid people on Earth! Al Gore is a prime example of the “Elmer Gantry” type...just more greedy and grasping.

[junkman_106]

And some of the most gullible and stupid people on Earth! Al Gore is a prime example of the “Elmer Gantry” type...just more greedy and grasping.

[Erasmus]

I believe the sound production can be explained by the heating effects, although the thermodynamics are complex; rather like modeling an H-bomb explosion via computer simulation.

There may be some level of precision where quantum effects have to be accounted for.

BTW—

Since a garden variety gamma ray has a energy of 100+ KeV, it is plausible that a lightning strike, which often begins with potential differences of megavolts, could produce them.

[bmwcyle]

It produces power to drive this.

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

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[RichInOC]

The ZOT lives!

[bigheadfred]

Antimatter. And now we know the real reason behind--

ǝuıɥɔɐɯ ɹǝɥʇɐǝʍ s,ʎǝuǝɥɔ ʞɔıp

(what color is a whissper?)

[decimon]

Antimatter matters not.

[Paradox]

There are two kinds of stuff... Matter, and Doesn’t Matter..

[onedoug]

Hmm. Interesting, though not really so suprising. There’s a hell of alot of power in these things.

Thanks always for the pings.

[AdmSmith]

The article is not correct, a positron is not really antimatter, it is just an antiparticle. You need an antiproton as well, and then, with luck, you would have an antihydrogen atom.

This seems to have been http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron-positron_annihilation

[SuperLuminal]

"There are two kinds of stuff... Matter, and Doesn't Matter.. "

Yep! As science, this probably doesn't matter, IMHO (currently)...

However, what does "matter" (based on a quick reading of this article) is that some a_hole might have had the dang telescope pointed in the wrong direction.

" Modelers are now working to figure out how the field reversal could have occurred. "

How about finding out how the "real" reversal could have occurred?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[neverdem]

BTTT!

[El Gato]

The article is not correct, a positron is not really antimatter, it is just an antiparticle.

It IS antimattter. Not an anti-atom, but electrons and positrons (anti-electrons) are matter. So are quarks and anti-quarks, although at that level the difference between matter and energy is somewhat fuzzy.