Posted on 05/05/2011 1:53:55 PM PDT by TaraP
Mystery Cosmic Rays Zapping South Pole -- "From the Neutron Star of the Vela Supernova?"
Cosmic rays zapping the Earth over the South Pole appear to be coming from particular locations, rather than being distributed uniformly across the sky. Cosmic ray "hotspots" have also been seen in the northern skies too, yet there is no source close enough to produce this strange pattern....
We don't know where they are coming from," says Stefan Westerhoff of the University of Wisconsin, who used the IceCube neutrino observatory at the South Pole with a team of colleagues to create the most comprehensive map to date of the arrival direction of cosmic rays in the southern skies. IceCube detects muons produced by neutrinos striking ice, but it also detects muons created by cosmic rays hitting Earth's atmosphere. These cosmic ray muons can be used to figure out the direction of the original cosmic ray particle.
Between May 2009 and May 2010, IceCube has detected 32 billion cosmic-ray muons, with a median energy of about 20 teraelectronvolts (TeV). These muons revealed, with extremely high statistical significance, a southern sky with some regions of excess cosmic rays ("hotspots") and others with a deficit of cosmic rays ("cold" spots).
Over the past two years, a similar pattern has been seen over the northern skies by the Milagro observatory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and the Tibet Air Shower array in Yangbajain.
The mystery remains perplexing because the hotspots must be produced within about 0.03 light years of Earth. Further out, galactic magnetic fields should deflect the particles so much that the hotspots would be smeared out across the sky. But no such sources are known to exist.
One of the hotspots seen by IceCube points in the direction of the Vela supernova remnant, a possible source of cosmic rays, but it's almost 1000 light years away. Its source supernova exploded about 800 light years away in the southern constellation, Vela. The Vela pulsar, made by astronomers at the University of Sydney in 1968, was the first direct observational proof that supernovae form neutron stars.
Fascinating.
Like gamma ray bursts.
ping ...
Sorta looks like... Jesus...
Certain death for the planet if we don’t transfer money to someone. Lots of money. Quickly.
It’s just Mr. Natural and his cosmic vibes. So if you don’t know by now,don’t mess with it!
If you turn it to the side it looks like a guy doing the splits.
Don’t worry Captain Zero is aware of the problem. As soon as fantasy baseball season is over Captain Zero will contemplate what action is required while on the back 9.
Nibiru...
I was reading last night that the solar system counterpart to the earth’s magnetosphere (which deflects solar activity from the earth) is thinning due to a reduction in pressure. Perhaps it is letting new rays in that it previously deflected.
...send it to him right away!
“We don’t know where they are coming from” - Hawaii?
They appear to be emanating from Uranus.
It’s those lousy penguins.
“He’s not looking Charlie. Give him another burst of rays! Quick! Stop! He’s looking again. Nothin’ to see over here but some penguins freezin’ their tails off. He’s turned around. Give him some more rays! You think we’re just cute little tuxedo-wearers earthling, but the Martian Penguins will rule this world! All hail herring!”
Global Warming strikes once again with warning!
Thanks.
That is something I collect puzzle pieces on.
Curious.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.