Posted on 11/03/2004 9:07:26 PM PST by RightWingAtheist
LONDON (Reuters) - An international team of astronomers believe they have solved a mystery that has been perplexing scientists for 100 years -- the origin of cosmic rays.
Scientists first discovered the energetic particles that bombard the Earth nearly a century ago but where they come from has been one of the big questions in astrophysics.
Using an array of four telescopes in Africa, the scientists produced the first image showing that the source of cosmic rays could be the remnant of a supernova, a powerful explosion of a star at the end of its life.
"This is the first time we were able to take an image of the source," David Berge, an astrophysicist at the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, told Reuters.
Scientists had long thought that supernova explosions were indeed the source, but did not have evidence to support it, according to Berge, who reported the findings in the science journal Nature.
He and colleagues from Britain, Armenia, France, Ireland, Namibia, South Africa and the Czech Republic studied the remnant of a supernova that exploded about 1,000 years ago and left a shell of debris.
"Because the energy density in cosmic rays is so large, they play an important role in the development of our galaxy," said Berge.
"We are now at a stage where we seem to be able to prove cosmic rays come from supernova remnants."
Professor Ian Halliday, head of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) which funds research, welcomed the findings.
"These results provide the first unequivocal proof that supernovae are capable of producing large quantities of galactic cosmic rays -- something we have long suspected, but never been able to confirm," he said in a statement.
Well Dr. Millikan, you were sort of correct...
Now that we have claimed victory, we can go back to the fun stuff. I present to thee the first post-celebatory science thread.
Breaking out a fresh roll of foil here ...
Posting the first reply to your own thread gives new meaning to the word 'Vanity'...(grin)
Several additional points.
Why does this article allow you to claim victory?
Pause, pause...oh! victory in the ELECTION.
Second, 'post celebatory' makes it sound like you'd given up sex during the campaign, until Bush scored. (truly wicked grin)
Third, are there any models on the approx. flux of cosmic rays for a given size supernova? Does the 'broadcast spectrum' change appreciably over time? (Gives a cross reference on the age of the nova, perhaps?) Cheers!
The article reads like there is one supernova that is the cause of *all* cosmic rays. Man, that's one long explosion...
I don't think foil helps with cosmic rays.
Practically all the Moon mission astronauts came down with cataracts within 4-10 years of
being outside the Earth's magnetic sphere.
However, Tuesday PM, surfing, I stopped on "The Daily Show" and the "Kerry Correspondant"
described Kerry mannerisms as being like "Sasquatch".
So, it may help there.
Now that I think about it, what we need is some Dorian Gray foil. Wear it, and let Democratics
see in the reflection, the vast emptiness of souls of their party.
I think it's because Kerry/Edwards is a weak force,
hence it couldn't attract enough electrions.
You're either in one of those rare atheist monastic orders, or you're married.
I just read the article and it's actually a detailed study of one supernova to show that it produced a large number of cosmic rays. The mechanism for supernova production of cosmic rays was known (according to the article). Thus there are many sources of cosmic rays, the various supernovae.
It's a bummer to be caught celebating.
Thanks for the ping!
Actually, I was under the impression that we were all repulsed by them via magnetism (polarity).
Also, if you look to chaos theory, you might call both of the Johns strange attractors (both for themselves as well as all the DUmmies out there).
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