Discovered: Cosmic Rays from a Mysterious, Nearby Object

[G_j]

:think:


http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/19nov_cosmicrays.htm?list41072

Discovered: Cosmic Rays from a Mysterious, Nearby Object

11.19.2008

Nov. 19, 2008: An international team of researchers has discovered a puzzling surplus of high-energy electrons bombarding Earth from space. The source of these cosmic rays is unknown, but it must be close to the solar system and it could be made of dark matter. Their results are being reported in the Nov. 20th issue of the journal Nature.

"This is a big discovery," says co-author John Wefel of Louisiana State University. "It's the first time we've seen a discrete source of accelerated cosmic rays standing out from the general galactic background."


Galactic cosmic rays are subatomic particles accelerated to almost light speed by distant supernova explosions and other violent events. They swarm through the Milky Way, forming a haze of high energy particles that enter the solar system from all directions. Cosmic rays consist mostly of protons and heavier atomic nuclei with a dash of electrons and photons spicing the mix.

<snip>

This uncertainty gives free rein to the imagination. The least exotic possibilities include, e.g., a nearby pulsar, a 'microquasar' or a stellar-mass black hole—all are capable of accelerating electrons to these energies. It is possible that such a source lurks undetected not far away. NASA's recently-launched Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is only just beginning to survey the sky with sufficient sensitivity to reveal some of these objects.

An even more tantalizing possibility is dark matter.

There is a class of physical theories called "Kaluza-Klein theories" which seek to reconcile gravity with other fundamental forces by positing extra dimensions. In addition to the familiar 3D of human experience, there could be as many as eight more dimensions woven into the space around us. A popular yet unproven explanation for dark matter is that dark matter particles inhabit the extra dimensions. We feel their presence via the force of gravity, but do not sense them in any other way.
..more..

[tridim]

1. Maybe it's our solar system's stargate?

Very cool stuff, thanks for posting.

[juno jones]

2. Ok, I couldn't resist

Juno Reactor, 'High Energy Protons'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0AB5sTuDe8

[ProdigalJunkMail]

3. the distance 'nearby' is of course...relative

one of the contributors mentions that the source would be less than 1 kiloparsec away...1 kiloparsec is 3,260 light years...

but it is still tantalizing...

sP

[Bill McBlueState]

6. that's in (or very close to) the galaxy

so very close in cosmic terms

[ProdigalJunkMail]

15. thus the term 'relatively'

definitely in the neighborhood, but even if it's moving toward us won't be here for a long time...

sP

[Ian David]

11. The Science at NASA podcast says between 100 parsecs and 1,000 parsecs.

100 parsecs = 6.25 Kessel Runs.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

16. ah the Kessel Run

maybe Han can fly out and check it for us...

sP

[ananda]

4. Color me amazed!

"Whatever it is, it's going to be amazing."

Yes indeed.

And this after the tunneling nanotubes article
yesterday.

I l o v e science.

[edbermac]

5. Could be toxic gasses coming from Uranus.

:7

[Bill McBlueState]

7. wow, the fifth reply was a Uranus joke

I'm surprised; this usually happens in one of the first three.

[edbermac]

8. At my job, so I couldn't post that fast.

I do have to do some work here occasionally. ;)

[SpiralHawk]

24. I think Prometheus would be a better name for Uranus

[Ian David]

9. It's The Cosmic Teapot! n/t

[Smith_3]

10. I think axions and WIMPs are more likely dark matter candidates.

String theory has yet to prove that it makes any real world predictions.

[cliffordu]

13. STING THEORY??

Is this where we postulate that Sting sucked less when he was with the Police than he does now??

[QueenOfCalifornia]

12. Somehow

someone will turn this thread into a "Hillary Clinton thread. :)

[Ioo]

14. A cloaked space ship from Zargon Noodle 8

[jazzjunkysue]

17. It's the mothership. They want Cheney's implanted alien symbiont life form back

before he's behind state prison bars. Claustrophobic, don'tcha know. Most aliens are. Don't like waterboarding, either.

[hunter]

18. Maybe we're staring into the engines of a decelerating starship.

I hope they are friendlies.

[Uncle Joe]

19. The universal Goddess has been sucking down a high caffeine drink against the advice of her doctor

and so now the Earthly fetus is feeling the results.

My guess is, she got depressed after eight years of Cheney/Bush and is trying to decide as to whether she wants to go full term or not.

[Bake]

20. That could explain a lot of things!

Like, e.g., they crashed our economy. Or, they are responsible for the 19% of Americans who think Bushie Boy has done a great job.

The possibilities are endless.

Bake

[KoKo]

21. Ha....there are some theories that have been circulating around

the "spritual sites" about what it could be that's not far off from your snark. :D

[G_j]

26. I liked the title

cosmic rays...mysterious object.
from NASA no less.

[Adsos Letter]

22. It's Putin's Head!!!

[leftofthedial]

23. dark matter?

must be unka dick's undisclosed location

[Bake]

25. That would be the black hole

From which NOTHING escapes!

:evilgrin:

Bake

[EFerrari]

27. Oh, man! Somebody found my keys!

:rofl:

[juno jones]

28. VALIS

;)


King Felix

[jpak]

29. Form aluminum foil into cone - place on head

ignore the voices...

:evilgrin: