NASA's Fermi Catches Thunderstorms Hurling Antimatter Into Space

Space Daily ^ | January 11, 2011 | Staff Writers

[FromLori]

Mass bird deaths: Is it Aflockalypse?

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/water_cooler/mass-animal-deaths-cause-many-to-search-for-answers-wews1294760663634

[Lurker]

You sure it was your cat? Could be Schroedingers....

[frithguild]

Why are these events happening, seemingly, all of a sudden? Is it natural or something supernatural?

Well clearly it's positron beams killing the birds. Like, duh?

[dangerdoc]

set beeber stunner on kill ping!

[aruanan]

Wait just a tick. If these things are tossing anti-matter into the sky all willy nilly and all, how come no jet planes have been hit by all this anti-matter flying around up there?

Large bird kill reported near Geyserville http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2654975/posts

There aren't any birds flying above thunderstorms.

[dangerdoc]

“We’re losing electrons?”

I’m positive.

[JRios1968]

There aren't any birds flying above thunderstorms.

Now we know why!

[SeeSac]

At the rate positrons and electrons are beaming out into space, there soon will be little left of our needs. For the good of the planet, we must conserve our positrons and electrons by preventing thuderstorms that result from global warming.

The antimatter is beaming into space. The beaming of antimatter is proof that the thunderstorms are CREATING positrons. Me must create more thunderstorms to create more positrons to ensure our supply is not depleted resulting in global warming.

[frithguild]

There aren't any birds flying above thunderstorms.

So just because Fermi is ABOVE the thunderstorms you think that all of the positron beams are pointed to outer space and its just impossible for a positron beam to zap a flock of birds? Do you have any idea how narrow minded you sound?

[texas booster]

Please add me to the Space ping list, if not already done.

[aruanan]

There aren't any birds flying above thunderstorms.

So just because Fermi is ABOVE the thunderstorms you think that all of the positron beams are pointed to outer space and its just impossible for a positron beam to zap a flock of birds? Do you have any idea how narrow minded you sound?

NASA's Fermi Catches Thunderstorms Hurling Antimatter Into Space

I guess you didn't notice the title of the post or click on the link and read it. Do you have any idea how careless it makes you sound? Let me provide the title again:

NASA's Fermi Catches Thunderstorms Hurling Antimatter Into Space

From the article (note the words indicating direction of the positron burst):

Scientists using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have detected beams of antimatter produced above thunderstorms on Earth, a phenomenon never seen before.

Scientists long have suspected TGFs arise from the strong electric fields near the tops of thunderstorms. Under the right conditions, they say, the field becomes strong enough that it drives an upward avalanche of electrons.

But the cascading electrons produce so many gamma rays that they blast electrons and positrons clear out of the atmosphere. This happens when the gamma-ray energy transforms into a pair of particles: an electron and a positron. It's these particles that reach Fermi's orbit.

The detection of positrons shows many high-energy particles are being ejected from the atmosphere. In fact, scientists now think that all TGFs emit electron/positron beams. A paper on the findings has been accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters.

[TalonDJ]

Wait just a tick. If these things are tossing anti-matter into the sky all willy nilly and all, how come no jet planes have been hit by all this anti-matter flying around up there?

You don't fly over serious T-storm. The monsters that do this can easily reach well over 35 thousand feet and destroy a commercial aircraft blundering into them. Commercial aircraft are incapable of getting above the biggest storms and antimatter would be the least of the worries if they go through them.

[Publius]

Can this be weaponized?

I suspect we have already done so.

Do you recall a few years ago when a North Korean train full of WMD equipment bound for Syria was vaporized? Not only was the train vaporized, but the entire North Korean town around the railroad junction was vaporized. That is what weaponization of particle beams can accomplish.

[frithguild]

picky, picky, picky.

[Silentgypsy]

My cat walks on keyboard, too, but confines her activities to ordering several dozen suits from Hong Kong tailors.

[Silentgypsy]

Are these the same guys who theorized that the rings of Saturn were actually millions of garbage baggies hurled....

[TheOldLady]

Great. Now it’ll be the anti-antimatter-streaming tax.

Prevent antimatter destruction of the earth! Send money to the gubmint, and everything will be all right. Later.

[TheOldLady]

Do they make the teacups out of nanites?

[decimon]

Are these the same guys who theorized that the rings of Saturn were actually millions of garbage baggies hurled....

That was the rings of Sacramento.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks decimon, The Comedian, and Pyro7480! When I posted a couple of quickie topics from work today (yes, shame on me) I did a quick search for news on the Higgs Boson. Fermilab is going to be shut down.

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