Do nuclear decay rates depend on our distance from the sun?

the physics arXiv blog ^ | 8/29/08

[LibWhacker]

Here’s an interesting conundrum involving nuclear decay rates.

We think that the decay rates of elements are constant regardless of the ambient conditions (except in a few special cases where beta decay can be influenced by powerful electric fields).

So that makes it hard to explain the curious periodic variations in the decay rates of silicon-32 and radium-226 observed by groups at the Brookhaven National Labs in the US and at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesandstalt in Germany in the 1980s.

Today, the story gets even more puzzling. Jere Jenkins and pals at Purdue University in Indiana have re-analysed the raw data from these experiments and say that the modulations are synchronised with each other and with Earth’s distance from the sun. (Both groups, in acts of selfless dedication, measured the decay rates of siliocn-32 and radium-226 over a period of many years.)

In other words, there appears to be an annual variation in the decay rates of these elements.

Jenkins and co put forward two theories to explain why this might be happening.

First, they say a theory developed by John Barrow at the University of Cambridge in the UK and Douglas Shaw at the University of London, suggests that the sun produces a field that changes the value of the fine structure constant on Earth as its distance from the sun varies during each orbit. Such an effect would certainly cause the kind of an annual variation in decay rates that Jenkins and co highlight.

Another idea is that the effect is caused by some kind of interaction with the neutrino flux from the sun’s interior, which could be tested by carrying out the measurements close to a nuclear reactor (which would generate its own powerful neutrino flux).

It turns out, that the notion of that nuclear decay rates are constant has been under attack for some time. In 2006, Jenkins says the decay rate of manganese-54 in their lab decreased dramtically during a solar flare on 13 December.

And numerous groups disagree over the decay rate for elements such as titanium-44, silicon-32 and cesium-137. Perhaps they took their data at different times of the year.

Keep em peeled beause we could hear more about this. Interesting stuff.

Ref: arxiv.org/abs/0808.3283: Evidence for Correlations Between Nuclear Decay Rates and Earth-Sun Distance

[dangerdoc]

Bump.

Sounds like a potential way to screw with someone else’s nuclear armory while it sits in a bunker.

[raygunfan]

hmmmmmmm......

[San Jacinto]

Interesting stuff.

Yup. And you know what else? It's just hard to beat a good hamburger, but cornbread crumbled up in a glass of cold buttermilk is mighty good eats if you don't want to go out.

[Tallguy]

Fascinating stuff. Thanks for the post!

[r9etb]

There’s a fairly easy way to test this: use the power telemetry data from the Voyager, Pioneer, Galileo, Cassini, and other spacecraft, which are all essentially powered by nuclear decay. See if the decay rate shows unexpected changes as the vehicles moved further from the Earth.

[Kevmo]

Pinging some of the more knowledgeable and interesting Freepers who might be able to shed some light on this subject.

[delacoert]

Sounds like a potential way to screw with someone else’s nuclear armory while it sits in a bunker.

I'm thinking the %change in decay rate they're seeing is out there a few decimal places. lol

And the best way to screw with someone else's armory is still the same as it always has been - nuke it.

[bvw]

HOORAY!

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Sounds like a potential new way to either measure neutrinos or to detect nuclear materials.

[chaos_5]

When we are closer to the sun time space is more curved. Perhaps the change in time space curvature affects the decay rate. Considering that decay rates are affected by relativity, I see no reason why they would not also be affected by time space curvature.

[BlueDragon]

Fine structure constant being influenced?
Another idea is that the effect is caused by some kind of interaction with the neutrino flux from the sun’s interior...

On another note;
This makes us wonder again, about how high levels of neutrino bombardment, along with high gamma radiation, may possibly have been in the past significant drivers or factors of evolutionary changes?

Pure speculation on my part, of course. And not my own original idea or pondering, either.

[PC99]

Great idea for testing this hypothesis!

[E. Cartman]

Thanks for the post. In this time of nation-wide political craziness, it's pleasant to have something empirically analyzable to fall back on.

[wideminded]

a theory developed by John Barrow at the University of Cambridge in the UK and Douglas Shaw at the University of London, suggests that the sun produces a field that changes the value of the fine structure constant on Earth as its distance from the sun varies during each orbit.

Since the fine structure constant is computed from the values of the electric charge, Planck's constant, and the speed of light, one or more of these would have to be changing with distance from the sun if this theory were true.

If the speed of light were changing with distance from the sun it would produce a shift in the observed positions of stars that would have been noticed already.

[epluribus_2]

What it seems to be saying is that the Sun has incredible influence on even the smallest of particles and mechanisms that is measurable since it changes with distance from the sun. Besides just lighting the planet it may influence everything in subtle ways. Who knows, might even affect the climate.

[KarlInOhio]

I'm too lazy to track down the decay methods of those isotopes, but I wonder if there is a different change based on how the atoms decay? Is alpha decay more or less affected than beta decay? How about spontanious fission of uranium?

[Retain Mike]

What a great post! At this moment I can feel brain cells being activated from a 30 year old unused undergradute Chemistry major. I bookmarked this one.

[OneVike]

This is more evidence that goes with what we knew for years. The big thing is it puts another nail in the coffin of those who stand by the faulty dating of rocks and organic material. Long story short, this is another plus for the side that supports the new earth philosophy as apposed to the billions and billions of years the old earth theorists believe in.

[ko_kyi]

Seems pretty easy to test, have 2 different labs switch methods and do the test the same time they did the previous year.

I immediately wondered if proximity to the sun somehow affected their test equipment rather than the materials themselves.