| | | Page 1, 2, 3, 4 | SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
So Kent, you saying that the GRB caused todayīs EQ? |
| Emperor Kenton
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
 | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Seeing parallels:
Hereīs a recent presentation, Dr. Paul LaViolette
Was the December 26, 2004 Indonesian Earthquake
and Tsunami Caused by a Stellar Explosion
45,000 Light Years Away?
Sound Crazy? Read Carefully Below. Gamma Ray
Bursts, Gravity Waves, and Earthquakes
[link to www.etheric.com]
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Anima
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Iīm really interested in your threads but most the time I canīt fully grasp what the hell you are talking about. Could you give the reader a teensy weensy bit of help/explanation? Please? It is soooo hard to read your mind. Thank you. I have been thinking and wondering about the gamma ray bursts and connection to this EQ also, BTW, if thatīs what you are talking about.
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Anima
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
I have read your site about the gravity waves coming first ... and you are saying that there was a gamma ray burst, then a gravity wave that preceeded this EQ, same as the Dec. EQ?
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Read the provided links. If you were already onto this GRB thing you would have a pretty good start.
melodramamelodramamelodramalodi |
| drag
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Hi Kent,
Just wake up badly by a dream seeing a building in front of me collapsing, 8.39 this morning Thai time, then the local time of the huge quake was 11:09 pm that mean is my be a wave back of 11 septembre not bad that puzzle start to be hard!!!!Something from out space is shooting at us, remember the weather line on the map 26.3 from Newyork to Egypt etc...
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | John Gault
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Kent, letīs post an article on this thread regarding GRBīs to help bring a few up to date on the subject.
Peace
John Gault
"Who is John Gault?"
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Chicken Little
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | John Gault
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Gamma-ray Bursts FAQ
1. What are Gamma-ray bursts, and what are gamma rays?
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs for short) are intense and short (approximately 0.1-100 seconds long) bursts of gamma-ray radiation that occur all over the sky approximately once per day at very large distances from Earth. Gamma rays are very energetic photons (E>10^5 eV), which represent the most extreme portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (ranging from radio waves at the lowest energies through visible optical light at higher energies, to gamma rays at the highest energies).
2.How are Gamma-ray bursts named?
The naming system for gamma ray bursts is very simple: "GRB yymmdd". For exmaple, a gamma ray burst which occured on July 4, 1999 is called GRB 990704. If there is more than one gamma ray burst on the same day, the letter a, b, c, etc. are added to the name (for example, the second gamma ray burst on July 4, 1999 is called GRB 990704b).
3. Where do Gamma-ray bursts occur?
Up until the 1990s and the launch of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO; see next question) there was a heated debate in the astronomical community about the source of, and distance to gamma ray bursts. One group claimed that gamma ray bursts occur in our own galaxy (the Milky Way), while others claimed that they occur in very distant galaxies. The main reason put forward by the group which claimed a local origin was the extreme energy release that is necessary to explain the observed emission from gamma ray bursts (see question 10). However, from the information gathered by CGRO, and later confirmation from observations of gamma-ray burst afterglows (see below), it was determined unambiguously that gamma-ray bursts take place in very distant galaxies (several billion light years away). The most distant Gamma-ray burst detected so far occured 13 billion light years away. This means that the gamma ray emission from gamma ray bursts that we observe now has been emitted billions of years ago, when the Universe was much younger.
4. How often do Gamma-ray bursts occur?
Based on almost 30 years of observing gamma ray bursts, we now think that on average there is one gamma ray burst per day somewhere in the Universe. However, recent developments in the study of gamma ray bursts indicates that the true number of these events may be 500 times larger. This means that we only see one out of every 500 gamma ray bursts.
5. How are gamma-ray bursts detected?
Gamma ray bursts are detected by satellites orbiting the Earth and travelling through the Solar system. They can only be detected from space because the Earthīs atmosphere absorbs gamma rays and therefore we cannot observe them from the ground. The first gamma ray bursts were detected by the Vela satellites, which were launched in the 1960s to ensure compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Since then several thousand gamma ray bursts have been detected by satellites such as the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) and the Interplanetary Network (IPN).
6. What is the distribution of Gamma ray bursts on the sky?
The distribution of several thousand bursts which were detected primarily by the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on CGRO is uniform across the sky. This means that there is no prefered direction from which we detect more gamma ray bursts. This distribution was the first indication that gamma ray bursts occur in bery distant galaxies and not in our own galaxy.
7. How much energy is released in gamma ray bursts?
Gamma ray bursts release extremely large amount of energy - approximately 10^52 ergs (or 10^45 joules), with the most extreme bursts releasing up to 10^54 ergs. This is the equivalent of turning a star like the Sun into pure energy (using Einsteinīs famous equation E=mc^2). This is also the amount of energy released by 1000 stars like the Sun over their entire lifetime! In practice, over the few seconds that a gamma ray burst occurs, it releases almost the same amount of energy as the entire Universe! This exteremly large energy release is the reason that astronomers initially believed that gamma ray bursts come from our own galaxy (see question 6). For those of us who live with rolling blackouts (i.e. Californians), the energy from a gamma ray burst (if it was converted to electricity) could supply the entire worldīs energy needs for a billion billion billion (thatīs 1 with 27 zeroes after it) years!
8. Is there more than one type of gamma ray burst?
The study of several thousand bursts has shown that there are two main classes of gamma ray bursts: those shorter than 2 seconds, and those longer than 2 seconds. In addition, it was found that the short bursts release more of their energy in very energetic gamma rays relative to the longer bursts. Therefore the terminology that is used to describe the two classes is "short and hard" and "long and soft". All of all bursts that have been studied in detail so far are "long and soft". Therefore, most of the details that are described in this FAQ page pertain only to the "long and soft" class.
9. What is the source (progenitor) of gamma-ray bursts?
In the first years of gamma ray burst research there were more proposed sources (or progenitors) for gamma ray bursts than the actual number of gamma ray bursts detected! However, ever since it was determined that gamma ray bursts occur at very large distances (and therefore release huge amounts of energy) the list of proposed progenitors shrunk into two main classes: very massive stars, and binary (2 star) systems composed of neutron stars or black holes. It is now thought that the "long and soft" bursts come from massive stars, while the "short and hard" bursts come from binary systems. Recently, observations of GRB 011121 (Bloom et al. 2002; Price et al. 2002) revealed a SN explosion which accompanied the GRB, and a circumburst environment typical of what is usually found around massive stars (see more on this intersting burst below). These results support the idea that the "long and soft" bursts are the end product of massive stars.
10. How are massive stars thought to produce gamma ray bursts?
Astronomers now think that the iron cores of some very massive stars (at least 30 times more massive than the Sun) can collapse into black holes several million years after they form. The energy released in the formation of the black hole emerges out of the collapsed star in the form of a gamma ray burst. Gamma ray burst astronomers call this the "collapsar" model. Other names are "hypernova" or "failed supernova" models. These names hint that there may be a connection between gamma ray bursts and supernovae (see below).
11. How are binary systems thought to produce gamma ray bursts?
It is known that most stars in the Universe reside in multiple systems of 2 (binary), 3 and even 4 stars. Some of the binary systems have two stars more massive than about ten times the mass of the Sun, and eventually after these stars die they leave behind neutron stars or black holes. Over time the two objects in the system spiral in toward each other and eventually they merge into a single black hole. As in the case of the "collapsar" model (see question 9) the formation of the black hole results in large amounts of energy release. The name astronomers use for this scenario is "coalescence".
12. Is there a relation between the progenitor of the gamma ray burst and the type of gamma ray burst?
It is now thought that the "long and soft" gamma ray burts come from the collapse of massive stars, while the "short and hard" bursts come from the merger of binary systems. This result comes from computer simulations which show that the merger of neutron star or black hole binaries occurs much faster than the collapse of the iron core of a massive star.
13. Are gamma ray bursts related to black holes?
Yes. The two main models of gamma ray bursts (see questions 9 and 10) both theorize that gamma ray bursts arise during the formation of a new black hole.
14. Are gamma ray bursts related to super-massive black holes in Quasars and Active Galactic Nuclei?
Probably not. There is evidence that some gamma ray bursts occur very close to the centers of galaxies where super-massive black holes may reside. However, most gamma ray bursts occur far enough from the centers to exclude an association with super-massive black holes. In addition, no gamma ray burst has ever been observed to repeat as would be expected if they come from super-massive black holes which are active for tens of millions of years.
15. How is the energy from the newly-formed black hole turned into gamma rays?
The energy from the newly formed black hole, along with some material from the collapsed star, is ejected outward in several shells with different speeds over a period of a few seconds. As a faster shell catches up to a slower one, the two shells collide and this collision produces gamma rays. The merged shell then continues moving out until the next shell catches up and collides with it, releasing more gamma rays. This process is called "internal shocks".
16. What are afterglows?
An afterglow is the emission that follows a gamma ray burst in other parts of the spectrum, ranging from radio waves to X-rays, and lasting from a few days to several years. The afterglows fade away over time in a well-understood manner. The discovery of the first afterglows in 1997 was made possible by the Italian-Dutch satellite BeppoSAX. This discovery (and the detection of approximately 50 afterglows over the past 4 years) has revolutionized the field of gamma ray burst astronomy.
17. How are gamma ray burst afterglows detected?
The first step in the detection of afterglows is always the detection of a new gamma ray burst by a satellite such as the IPN, BeppoSAX, and HETE-II (see qeustion 4). The information from the satellite is quickly sent down to Earth and is distributed to gamma ray burst astronomers by email, pagers, and cellular phones. When astronomers get the information, they observe the part of the sky where the gamma ray burst occured, and look for an object which fades quickly. Different kinds of telescopes are used including radio and optical telescopes all over the world. When the afterglow is found, its exact position on the sky is sent around to all astronomers who subscribe to the GRB Coordinates Network (GCN). For the next few weeks to years astronomers continue to monitor the fading afterglow.
18. Do we see an afterglow from every gamma ray burst?
In principal every gamma ray burst is followed by an afterglow. However, we do not always see these afterglows for several reasons. First, prior to 1997 and the launch of the BeppoSAX satellite (see question 15) it was impossible to find the position of gamma ray burst accurately enough to detect the afterglow. Second, even after 1997 the afterglows from some gamma ray bursts are too faint to detect from Earth. Third, some of the gamma ray bursts occur during the day so we cannot use optical telescopes to look for them (in this case we can still find the afterglow with radio telescopes). Finally, some gamma ray bursts occur in galaxies that contain a lot of dust. This dust can completely block the optical light from the afterglow.
19. How many afterglows have been detected since the first one in 1997?
Approximately 50 afterglows have been detected with X-ray telescopes (see question 15) so far in almost 4 years of observations. However, of these 50 afterglows only approximately 40% have also been detected with optical or radio telescopes. So, on average an afterglow is detected once a month.
20. How are afterglows formed?
As we have seen previously (question 14) the gamma ray burst is formed when shells of energy and matter ejected by the newly-formed hole collide and merge ("internal shocks"). After the shells merge into a single shell, this shell continues to move away from the black hole and, like a snowplow, it gathers up material from interstellar space (even though it is assumed that space is empty, in reality it is full of protons and electrons). As the shell sweeps up more and more material it slows down and releases energy. This is the energy that we observe as the afterglow. This process is called an "extrenal shock".
21. Why do afterglows fade over time?
As was explained in the previous question, the expanding shell from the gamma ray burst gathers up material, and imparts energy to this material. Initially, the shell has more energy and it accelerates the material that it gathers up into high energies. As the shell loses energy it gives less and less energy to the material and therefore the emission becomes weaker. Eventually, the material loses so much energy that the light from the afterglow becomes too faint to be seen from Earth even with the largest telescopes.
22. What telescopes are used to detect afterglows?
Gamma ray burst astronomers use many telescopes around the world to look for and monitor gamma ray bursts. These telescopes inculde the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chnadra X-ray Observatory in space, the Keck telescopes in Hawaii, the Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico (featured in the movie Contact starring Jodie Foster), the Very Large Telescope in South America, and many other smaller telescopes.
23. What do we learn from observing afterglows?
Observations of the afterglows all across the spectrum tell us many things about gamma ray bursts. First, observations of the first afterglow in 1997 confirmed that gamma ray bursts occur in very distant galaxies (see question 2). Second, from observations of the afterglow we can determine how much energy was released in the gamma ray burst. Third, we can determine how much material was present in the vicinity of the gamma ray burst. Finally, we can find information on the physics of the "external shocks" (see question 16).
24. What is scintillation and how is it related to afterglows and their sizes?
Scintillation is the reason that stars twinkle and planets donīt. Why is there a difference? Simply it is because stars are very far away and therefore appear to be very small, while planets are closer to us and therefore appear to be bigger. Now, afterglows show the same twinkling since they are very far away and so appear very small. But instead of twinkling of their optical light (as in the case of stars), the twinkling of afterglows is seen in radio waves. As opposed to stars, however, afterglows become bigger with time since they expand outward (see question 19) and therefore the scintillation (twinkling) stops after a few weeks. This effect has been observed in several afterglows and it tells us how big afterglows really are.
25. How big are gamma ray burst afterglows?
The twinkling of radio waves from afterglows (see question 23) has shown that afterglows start very small (about the size of the Earthīs orbit around the Sun), and then expand and become larger than the Solar system.
26. Are gamma ray bursts related to supernovae?
There are now two pieces of evidence which show that soon before the gamma ray burst happens a supernova also forms. Supernovae are explosions that accompany the death of massive stars, but they are different from gamma ray bursts in the way they release energy. What evidence is there for this connection? First, observations of some afterglows with optical telescopes show a re-brightening of these afterglows a few weeks after they are first observed (as was mentioned previously, afterglows usually just fade away until they become to faint to observe). This re-brightening cannot come from the afterglow, but it is naturally explained in terms of a supernova that happened just before the gamma ray burst. A second piece of evidence comes from the detection of a supernova (called 1998bw) in the same part of the sky and at the same time as a gamma ray burst. Recently, we have found the best evidence for the association of GRBs and supernovae based on optical and radio observations of GRB 011121, which showed a clear re-brightening of the optical light and a direct signature of the environment that is usually found around massive stars (which are the progenitors of both GRBs and supernovae).
27. Where can I find more information on gamma ray bursts?
There are many popular level and scientific articles about gamma ray bursts. For popular level discussion of gamma ray bursts try looking for articles in Scientific American. Scientific articles can be found on the astro-ph preprint server and ADS.
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
From thread
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 1494
3/26/2005
8:18 pm EST
What do you think of the CCD bakeout? Seems like thatīs been going on for some time now.
soho was shut down the week of the first tsunami quake.
dec.22 2004
NO SOHO: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), located at a
Lagrange point (L1) between the sun and Earth, has temporarily
entered a telemetry keyhole. Antennas on Earth wonīt be able to
receive pictures from the spacecraft again until Dec. 26th when SOHO
exits the keyhole.
galactic wave later reported.
they did not tell us about the first one for a couple of months.
the first tsunami quake followed a large 8.something quake in australia.
will we see another large one in the very near future? |
| John Gault
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
"will we see another large one in the very near future?"
Are you kidding...you aint seen nothin yet!
John Gault
"Who is John Gault?"
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Wissbank
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
If the 8.7 EQ was caused by a gravity wave from the same source as the Dec 26 EQ then youīd expect the cosmic ray burst to come in 44.6 hours later than the 16:09 time today.
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Anima ( Animal ) stated ...
Iīm really interested in your threads but most the time I canīt fully grasp what the hell you are talking about. Could you give the reader a teensy weensy bit of help/explanation? Please? It is soooo hard to read your mind. Thank you. I have been thinking and wondering about the gamma ray bursts and connection to this EQ also, BTW, if thatīs what you are talking about.
*********************************************
This sickens me of the fucking debunkers playing to be idiots asking to never know anything about ...
Study stupid fuck ! that way you dont have to ask next time ! ...
READ think .... !!!!
 |
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
just for the record.
Magnitude 8.1
Date-Time Thursday, December 23, 2004 at 14:59:03 (UTC)
= Coordinated Universal Time
Friday, December 24, 2004 at 1:59:03 AM
= local time at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 50.145°S, 160.365°E
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region NORTH OF MACQUARIE ISLAND
Magnitude 9.0
Date-Time Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 (UTC)
= Coordinated Universal Time
Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 7:58:53 AM
= local time at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 3.307° N 95.947° E
Depth 30 km (18.6 miles) set by location program
Region OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA |
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Gamma-ray Bursts FAQ
1. What are Gamma-ray bursts, and what are gamma rays?
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs for short) are intense and short (approximately 0.1-100 seconds long) bursts of gamma-ray radiation that occur all over the sky approximately once per day at very large distances from Earth. Gamma rays are very energetic photons (E>10^5 eV), which represent the most extreme portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (ranging from radio waves at the lowest energies through visible optical light at higher energies, to gamma rays at the highest energies).
2.How are Gamma-ray bursts named?
The naming system for gamma ray bursts is very simple: "GRB yymmdd". For exmaple, a gamma ray burst which occured on July 4, 1999 is called GRB 990704. If there is more than one gamma ray burst on the same day, the letter a, b, c, etc. are added to the name (for example, the second gamma ray burst on July 4, 1999 is called GRB 990704b).
3. Where do Gamma-ray bursts occur?
Up until the 1990s and the launch of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO; see next question) there was a heated debate in the astronomical community about the source of, and distance to gamma ray bursts. One group claimed that gamma ray bursts occur in our own galaxy (the Milky Way), while others claimed that they occur in very distant galaxies. The main reason put forward by the group which claimed a local origin was the extreme energy release that is necessary to explain the observed emission from gamma ray bursts (see question 10). However, from the information gathered by CGRO, and later confirmation from observations of gamma-ray burst afterglows (see below), it was determined unambiguously that gamma-ray bursts take place in very distant galaxies (several billion light years away). The most distant Gamma-ray burst detected so far occured 13 billion light years away. This means that the gamma ray emission from gamma ray bursts that we observe now has been emitted billions of years ago, when the Universe was much younger.
4. How often do Gamma-ray bursts occur?
Based on almost 30 years of observing gamma ray bursts, we now think that on average there is one gamma ray burst per day somewhere in the Universe. However, recent developments in the study of gamma ray bursts indicates that the true number of these events may be 500 times larger. This means that we only see one out of every 500 gamma ray bursts.
5. How are gamma-ray bursts detected?
Gamma ray bursts are detected by satellites orbiting the Earth and travelling through the Solar system. They can only be detected from space because the Earthīs atmosphere absorbs gamma rays and therefore we cannot observe them from the ground. The first gamma ray bursts were detected by the Vela satellites, which were launched in the 1960s to ensure compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Since then several thousand gamma ray bursts have been detected by satellites such as the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) and the Interplanetary Network (IPN).
6. What is the distribution of Gamma ray bursts on the sky?
The distribution of several thousand bursts which were detected primarily by the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on CGRO is uniform across the sky. This means that there is no prefered direction from which we detect more gamma ray bursts. This distribution was the first indication that gamma ray bursts occur in bery distant galaxies and not in our own galaxy.
7. How much energy is released in gamma ray bursts?
Gamma ray bursts release extremely large amount of energy - approximately 10^52 ergs (or 10^45 joules), with the most extreme bursts releasing up to 10^54 ergs. This is the equivalent of turning a star like the Sun into pure energy (using Einsteinīs famous equation E=mc^2). This is also the amount of energy released by 1000 stars like the Sun over their entire lifetime! In practice, over the few seconds that a gamma ray burst occurs, it releases almost the same amount of energy as the entire Universe! This exteremly large energy release is the reason that astronomers initially believed that gamma ray bursts come from our own galaxy (see question 6). For those of us who live with rolling blackouts (i.e. Californians), the energy from a gamma ray burst (if it was converted to electricity) could supply the entire worldīs energy needs for a billion billion billion (thatīs 1 with 27 zeroes after it) years!
8. Is there more than one type of gamma ray burst?
The study of several thousand bursts has shown that there are two main classes of gamma ray bursts: those shorter than 2 seconds, and those longer than 2 seconds. In addition, it was found that the short bursts release more of their energy in very energetic gamma rays relative to the longer bursts. Therefore the terminology that is used to describe the two classes is "short and hard" and "long and soft". All of all bursts that have been studied in detail so far are "long and soft". Therefore, most of the details that are described in this FAQ page pertain only to the "long and soft" class.
9. What is the source (progenitor) of gamma-ray bursts?
In the first years of gamma ray burst research there were more proposed sources (or progenitors) for gamma ray bursts than the actual number of gamma ray bursts detected! However, ever since it was determined that gamma ray bursts occur at very large distances (and therefore release huge amounts of energy) the list of proposed progenitors shrunk into two main classes: very massive stars, and binary (2 star) systems composed of neutron stars or black holes. It is now thought that the "long and soft" bursts come from massive stars, while the "short and hard" bursts come from binary systems. Recently, observations of GRB 011121 (Bloom et al. 2002; Price et al. 2002) revealed a SN explosion which accompanied the GRB, and a circumburst environment typical of what is usually found around massive stars (see more on this intersting burst below). These results support the idea that the "long and soft" bursts are the end product of massive stars.
10. How are massive stars thought to produce gamma ray bursts?
Astronomers now think that the iron cores of some very massive stars (at least 30 times more massive than the Sun) can collapse into black holes several million years after they form. The energy released in the formation of the black hole emerges out of the collapsed star in the form of a gamma ray burst. Gamma ray burst astronomers call this the "collapsar" model. Other names are "hypernova" or "failed supernova" models. These names hint that there may be a connection between gamma ray bursts and supernovae (see below).
11. How are binary systems thought to produce gamma ray bursts?
It is known that most stars in the Universe reside in multiple systems of 2 (binary), 3 and even 4 stars. Some of the binary systems have two stars more massive than about ten times the mass of the Sun, and eventually after these stars die they leave behind neutron stars or black holes. Over time the two objects in the system spiral in toward each other and eventually they merge into a single black hole. As in the case of the "collapsar" model (see question 9) the formation of the black hole results in large amounts of energy release. The name astronomers use for this scenario is "coalescence".
12. Is there a relation between the progenitor of the gamma ray burst and the type of gamma ray burst?
It is now thought that the "long and soft" gamma ray burts come from the collapse of massive stars, while the "short and hard" bursts come from the merger of binary systems. This result comes from computer simulations which show that the merger of neutron star or black hole binaries occurs much faster than the collapse of the iron core of a massive star.
13. Are gamma ray bursts related to black holes?
Yes. The two main models of gamma ray bursts (see questions 9 and 10) both theorize that gamma ray bursts arise during the formation of a new black hole.
14. Are gamma ray bursts related to super-massive black holes in Quasars and Active Galactic Nuclei?
Probably not. There is evidence that some gamma ray bursts occur very close to the centers of galaxies where super-massive black holes may reside. However, most gamma ray bursts occur far enough from the centers to exclude an association with super-massive black holes. In addition, no gamma ray burst has ever been observed to repeat as would be expected if they come from super-massive black holes which are active for tens of millions of years.
15. How is the energy from the newly-formed black hole turned into gamma rays?
The energy from the newly formed black hole, along with some material from the collapsed star, is ejected outward in several shells with different speeds over a period of a few seconds. As a faster shell catches up to a slower one, the two shells collide and this collision produces gamma rays. The merged shell then continues moving out until the next shell catches up and collides with it, releasing more gamma rays. This process is called "internal shocks".
16. What are afterglows?
An afterglow is the emission that follows a gamma ray burst in other parts of the spectrum, ranging from radio waves to X-rays, and lasting from a few days to several years. The afterglows fade away over time in a well-understood manner. The discovery of the first afterglows in 1997 was made possible by the Italian-Dutch satellite BeppoSAX. This discovery (and the detection of approximately 50 afterglows over the past 4 years) has revolutionized the field of gamma ray burst astronomy.
17. How are gamma ray burst afterglows detected?
The first step in the detection of afterglows is always the detection of a new gamma ray burst by a satellite such as the IPN, BeppoSAX, and HETE-II (see qeustion 4). The information from the satellite is quickly sent down to Earth and is distributed to gamma ray burst astronomers by email, pagers, and cellular phones. When astronomers get the information, they observe the part of the sky where the gamma ray burst occured, and look for an object which fades quickly. Different kinds of telescopes are used including radio and optical telescopes all over the world. When the afterglow is found, its exact position on the sky is sent around to all astronomers who subscribe to the GRB Coordinates Network (GCN). For the next few weeks to years astronomers continue to monitor the fading afterglow.
18. Do we see an afterglow from every gamma ray burst?
In principal every gamma ray burst is followed by an afterglow. However, we do not always see these afterglows for several reasons. First, prior to 1997 and the launch of the BeppoSAX satellite (see question 15) it was impossible to find the position of gamma ray burst accurately enough to detect the afterglow. Second, even after 1997 the afterglows from some gamma ray bursts are too faint to detect from Earth. Third, some of the gamma ray bursts occur during the day so we cannot use optical telescopes to look for them (in this case we can still find the afterglow with radio telescopes). Finally, some gamma ray bursts occur in galaxies that contain a lot of dust. This dust can completely block the optical light from the afterglow.
19. How many afterglows have been detected since the first one in 1997?
Approximately 50 afterglows have been detected with X-ray telescopes (see question 15) so far in almost 4 years of observations. However, of these 50 afterglows only approximately 40% have also been detected with optical or radio telescopes. So, on average an afterglow is detected once a month.
20. How are afterglows formed?
As we have seen previously (question 14) the gamma ray burst is formed when shells of energy and matter ejected by the newly-formed hole collide and merge ("internal shocks"). After the shells merge into a single shell, this shell continues to move away from the black hole and, like a snowplow, it gathers up material from interstellar space (even though it is assumed that space is empty, in reality it is full of protons and electrons). As the shell sweeps up more and more material it slows down and releases energy. This is the energy that we observe as the afterglow. This process is called an "extrenal shock".
21. Why do afterglows fade over time?
As was explained in the previous question, the expanding shell from the gamma ray burst gathers up material, and imparts energy to this material. Initially, the shell has more energy and it accelerates the material that it gathers up into high energies. As the shell loses energy it gives less and less energy to the material and therefore the emission becomes weaker. Eventually, the material loses so much energy that the light from the afterglow becomes too faint to be seen from Earth even with the largest telescopes.
22. What telescopes are used to detect afterglows?
Gamma ray burst astronomers use many telescopes around the world to look for and monitor gamma ray bursts. These telescopes inculde the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chnadra X-ray Observatory in space, the Keck telescopes in Hawaii, the Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico (featured in the movie Contact starring Jodie Foster), the Very Large Telescope in South America, and many other smaller telescopes.
23. What do we learn from observing afterglows?
Observations of the afterglows all across the spectrum tell us many things about gamma ray bursts. First, observations of the first afterglow in 1997 confirmed that gamma ray bursts occur in very distant galaxies (see question 2). Second, from observations of the afterglow we can determine how much energy was released in the gamma ray burst. Third, we can determine how much material was present in the vicinity of the gamma ray burst. Finally, we can find information on the physics of the "external shocks" (see question 16).
24. What is scintillation and how is it related to afterglows and their sizes?
Scintillation is the reason that stars twinkle and planets donīt. Why is there a difference? Simply it is because stars are very far away and therefore appear to be very small, while planets are closer to us and therefore appear to be bigger. Now, afterglows show the same twinkling since they are very far away and so appear very small. But instead of twinkling of their optical light (as in the case of stars), the twinkling of afterglows is seen in radio waves. As opposed to stars, however, afterglows become bigger with time since they expand outward (see question 19) and therefore the scintillation (twinkling) stops after a few weeks. This effect has been observed in several afterglows and it tells us how big afterglows really are.
25. How big are gamma ray burst afterglows?
The twinkling of radio waves from afterglows (see question 23) has shown that afterglows start very small (about the size of the Earthīs orbit around the Sun), and then expand and become larger than the Solar system.
26. Are gamma ray bursts related to supernovae?
There are now two pieces of evidence which show that soon before the gamma ray burst happens a supernova also forms. Supernovae are explosions that accompany the death of massive stars, but they are different from gamma ray bursts in the way they release energy. What evidence is there for this connection? First, observations of some afterglows with optical telescopes show a re-brightening of these afterglows a few weeks after they are first observed (as was mentioned previously, afterglows usually just fade away until they become to faint to observe). This re-brightening cannot come from the afterglow, but it is naturally explained in terms of a supernova that happened just before the gamma ray burst. A second piece of evidence comes from the detection of a supernova (called 1998bw) in the same part of the sky and at the same time as a gamma ray burst. Recently, we have found the best evidence for the association of GRBs and supernovae based on optical and radio observations of GRB 011121, which showed a clear re-brightening of the optical light and a direct signature of the environment that is usually found around massive stars (which are the progenitors of both GRBs and supernovae).
27. Where can I find more information on gamma ray bursts?
There are many popular level and scientific articles abouGamma-ray Bursts FAQ
1. What are Gamma-ray bursts, and what are gamma rays?
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs for short) are intense and short (approximately 0.1-100 seconds long) bursts of gamma-ray radiation that occur all over the sky approximately once per day at very large distances from Earth. Gamma rays are very energetic photons (E>10^5 eV), which represent the most extreme portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (ranging from radio waves at the lowest energies through visible optical light at higher energies, to gamma rays at the highest energies).
2.How are Gamma-ray bursts named?
The naming system for gamma ray bursts is very simple: "GRB yymmdd". For exmaple, a gamma ray burst which occured on July 4, 1999 is called GRB 990704. If there is more than one gamma ray burst on the same day, the letter a, b, c, etc. are added to the name (for example, the second gamma ray burst on July 4, 1999 is called GRB 990704b).
3. Where do Gamma-ray bursts occur?
Up until the 1990s and the launch of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO; see next question) there was a heated debate in the astronomical community about the source of, and distance to gamma ray bursts. One group claimed that gamma ray bursts occur in our own galaxy (the Milky Way), while others claimed that they occur in very distant galaxies. The main reason put forward by the group which claimed a local origin was the extreme energy release that is necessary to explain the observed emission from gamma ray bursts (see question 10). However, from the information gathered by CGRO, and later confirmation from observations of gamma-ray burst afterglows (see below), it was determined unambiguously that gamma-ray bursts take place in very distant galaxies (several billion light years away). The most distant Gamma-ray burst detected so far occured 13 billion light years away. This means that the gamma ray emission from gamma ray bursts that we observe now has been emitted billions of years ago, when the Universe was much younger.
4. How often do Gamma-ray bursts occur?
Based on almost 30 years of observing gamma ray bursts, we now think that on average there is one gamma ray burst per day somewhere in the Universe. However, recent developments in the study of gamma ray bursts indicates that the true number of these events may be 500 times larger. This means that we only see one out of every 500 gamma ray bursts.
5. How are gamma-ray bursts detected?
Gamma ray bursts are detected by satellites orbiting the Earth and travelling through the Solar system. They can only be detected from space because the Earthīs atmosphere absorbs gamma rays and therefore we cannot observe them from the ground. The first gamma ray bursts were detected by the Vela satellites, which were launched in the 1960s to ensure compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Since then several thousand gamma ray bursts have been detected by satellites such as the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) and the Interplanetary Network (IPN).
6. What is the distribution of Gamma ray bursts on the sky?
The distribution of several thousand bursts which were detected primarily by the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on CGRO is uniform across the sky. This means that there is no prefered direction from which we detect more gamma ray bursts. This distribution was the first indication that gamma ray bursts occur in bery distant galaxies and not in our own galaxy.
7. How much energy is released in gamma ray bursts?
Gamma ray bursts release extremely large amount of energy - approximately 10^52 ergs (or 10^45 joules), with the most extreme bursts releasing up to 10^54 ergs. This is the equivalent of turning a star like the Sun into pure energy (using Einsteinīs famous equation E=mc^2). This is also the amount of energy released by 1000 stars like the Sun over their entire lifetime! In practice, over the few seconds that a gamma ray burst occurs, it releases almost the same amount of energy as the entire Universe! This exteremly large energy release is the reason that astronomers initially believed that gamma ray bursts come from our own galaxy (see question 6). For those of us who live with rolling blackouts (i.e. Californians), the energy from a gamma ray burst (if it was converted to electricity) could supply the entire worldīs energy needs for a billion billion billion (thatīs 1 with 27 zeroes after it) years!
8. Is there more than one type of gamma ray burst?
The study of several thousand bursts has shown that there are two main classes of gamma ray bursts: those shorter than 2 seconds, and those longer than 2 seconds. In addition, it was found that the short bursts release more of their energy in very energetic gamma rays relative to the longer bursts. Therefore the terminology that is used to describe the two classes is "short and hard" and "long and soft". All of all bursts that have been studied in detail so far are "long and soft". Therefore, most of the details that are described in this FAQ page pertain only to the "long and soft" class.
9. What is the source (progenitor) of gamma-ray bursts?
In the first years of gamma ray burst research there were more proposed sources (or progenitors) for gamma ray bursts than the actual number of gamma ray bursts detected! However, ever since it was determined that gamma ray bursts occur at very large distances (and therefore release huge amounts of energy) the list of proposed progenitors shrunk into two main classes: very massive stars, and binary (2 star) systems composed of neutron stars or black holes. It is now thought that the "long and soft" bursts come from massive stars, while the "short and hard" bursts come from binary systems. Recently, observations of GRB 011121 (Bloom et al. 2002; Price et al. 2002) revealed a SN explosion which accompanied the GRB, and a circumburst environment typical of what is usually found around massive stars (see more on this intersting burst below). These results support the idea that the "long and soft" bursts are the end product of massive stars.
10. How are massive stars thought to produce gamma ray bursts?
Astronomers now think that the iron cores of some very massive stars (at least 30 times more massive than the Sun) can collapse into black holes several million years after they form. The energy released in the formation of the black hole emerges out of the collapsed star in the form of a gamma ray burst. Gamma ray burst astronomers call this the "collapsar" model. Other names are "hypernova" or "failed supernova" models. These names hint that there may be a connection between gamma ray bursts and supernovae (see below).
11. How are binary systems thought to produce gamma ray bursts?
It is known that most stars in the Universe reside in multiple systems of 2 (binary), 3 and even 4 stars. Some of the binary systems have two stars more massive than about ten times the mass of the Sun, and eventually after these stars die they leave behind neutron stars or black holes. Over time the two objects in the system spiral in toward each other and eventually they merge into a single black hole. As in the case of the "collapsar" model (see question 9) the formation of the black hole results in large amounts of energy release. The name astronomers use for this scenario is "coalescence".
12. Is there a relation between the progenitor of the gamma ray burst and the type of gamma ray burst?
It is now thought that the "long and soft" gamma ray burts come from the collapse of massive stars, while the "short and hard" bursts come from the merger of binary systems. This result comes from computer simulations which show that the merger of neutron star or black hole binaries occurs much faster than the collapse of the iron core of a massive star.
13. Are gamma ray bursts related to black holes?
Yes. The two main models of gamma ray bursts (see questions 9 and 10) both theorize that gamma ray bursts arise during the formation of a new black hole.
14. Are gamma ray bursts related to super-massive black holes in Quasars and Active Galactic Nuclei?
Probably not. There is evidence that some gamma ray bursts occur very close to the centers of galaxies where super-massive black holes may reside. However, most gamma ray bursts occur far enough from the centers to exclude an association with super-massive black holes. In addition, no gamma ray burst has ever been observed to repeat as would be expected if they come from super-massive black holes which are active for tens of millions of years.
15. How is the energy from the newly-formed black hole turned into gamma rays?
The energy from the newly formed black hole, along with some material from the collapsed star, is ejected outward in several shells with different speeds over a period of a few seconds. As a faster shell catches up to a slower one, the two shells collide and this collision produces gamma rays. The merged shell then continues moving out until the next shell catches up and collides with it, releasing more gamma rays. This process is called "internal shocks".
16. What are afterglows?
An afterglow is the emission that follows a gamma ray burst in other parts of the spectrum, ranging from radio waves to X-rays, and lasting from a few days to several years. The afterglows fade away over time in a well-understood manner. The discovery of the first afterglows in 1997 was made possible by the Italian-Dutch satellite BeppoSAX. This discovery (and the detection of approximately 50 afterglows over the past 4 years) has revolutionized the field of gamma ray burst astronomy.
17. How are gamma ray burst afterglows detected?
The first step in the detection of afterglows is always the detection of a new gamma ray burst by a satellite such as the IPN, BeppoSAX, and HETE-II (see qeustion 4). The information from the satellite is quickly sent down to Earth and is distributed to gamma ray burst astronomers by email, pagers, and cellular phones. When astronomers get the information, they observe the part of the sky where the gamma ray burst occured, and look for an object which fades quickly. Different kinds of telescopes are used including radio and optical telescopes all over the world. When the afterglow is found, its exact position on the sky is sent around to all astronomers who subscribe to the GRB Coordinates Network (GCN). For the next few weeks to years astronomers continue to monitor the fading afterglow.
18. Do we see an afterglow from every gamma ray burst?
In principal every gamma ray burst is followed by an afterglow. However, we do not always see these afterglows for several reasons. First, prior to 1997 and the launch of the BeppoSAX satellite (see question 15) it was impossible to find the position of gamma ray burst accurately enough to detect the afterglow. Second, even after 1997 the afterglows from some gamma ray bursts are too faint to detect from Earth. Third, some of the gamma ray bursts occur during the day so we cannot use optical telescopes to look for them (in this case we can still find the afterglow with radio telescopes). Finally, some gamma ray bursts occur in galaxies that contain a lot of dust. This dust can completely block the optical light from the afterglow.
19. How many afterglows have been detected since the first one in 1997?
Approximately 50 afterglows have been detected with X-ray telescopes (see question 15) so far in almost 4 years of observations. However, of these 50 afterglows only approximately 40% have also been detected with optical or radio telescopes. So, on average an afterglow is detected once a month.
20. How are afterglows formed?
As we have seen previously (question 14) the gamma ray burst is formed when shells of energy and matter ejected by the newly-formed hole collide and merge ("internal shocks"). After the shells merge into a single shell, this shell continues to move away from the black hole and, like a snowplow, it gathers up material from interstellar space (even though it is assumed that space is empty, in reality it is full of protons and electrons). As the shell sweeps up more and more material it slows down and releases energy. This is the energy that we observe as the afterglow. This process is called an "extrenal shock".
21. Why do afterglows fade over time?
As was explained in the previous question, the expanding shell from the gamma ray burst gathers up material, and imparts energy to this material. Initially, the shell has more energy and it accelerates the material that it gathers up into high energies. As the shell loses energy it gives less and less energy to the material and therefore the emission becomes weaker. Eventually, the material loses so much energy that the light from the afterglow becomes too faint to be seen from Earth even with the largest telescopes.
22. What telescopes are used to detect afterglows?
Gamma ray burst astronomers use many telescopes around the world to look for and monitor gamma ray bursts. These telescopes inculde the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chnadra X-ray Observatory in space, the Keck telescopes in Hawaii, the Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico (featured in the movie Contact starring Jodie Foster), the Very Large Telescope in South America, and many other smaller telescopes.
23. What do we learn from observing afterglows?
Observations of the afterglows all across the spectrum tell us many things about gamma ray bursts. First, observations of the first afterglow in 1997 confirmed that gamma ray bursts occur in very distant galaxies (see question 2). Second, from observations of the afterglow we can determine how much energy was released in the gamma ray burst. Third, we can determine how much material was present in the vicinity of the gamma ray burst. Finally, we can find information on the physics of the "external shocks" (see question 16).
24. What is scintillation and how is it related to afterglows and their sizes?
Scintillation is the reason that stars twinkle and planets donīt. Why is there a difference? Simply it is because stars are very far away and therefore appear to be very small, while planets are closer to us and therefore appear to be bigger. Now, afterglows show the same twinkling since they are very far away and so appear very small. But instead of twinkling of their optical light (as in the case of stars), the twinkling of afterglows is seen in radio waves. As opposed to stars, however, afterglows become bigger with time since they expand outward (see question 19) and therefore the scintillation (twinkling) stops after a few weeks. This effect has been observed in several afterglows and it tells us how big afterglows really are.
25. How big are gamma ray burst afterglows?
The twinkling of radio waves from afterglows (see question 23) has shown that afterglows start very small (about the size of the Earthīs orbit around the Sun), and then expand and become larger than the Solar system.
26. Are gamma ray bursts related to supernovae?
There are now two pieces of evidence which show that soon before the gamma ray burst happens a supernova also forms. Supernovae are explosions that accompany the death of massive stars, but they are different from gamma ray bursts in the way they release energy. What evidence is there for this connection? First, observations of some afterglows with optical telescopes show a re-brightening of these afterglows a few weeks after they are first observed (as was mentioned previously, afterglows usually just fade away until they become to faint to observe). This re-brightening cannot come from the afterglow, but it is naturally explained in terms of a supernova that happened just before the gamma ray burst. A second piece of evidence comes from the detection of a supernova (called 1998bw) in the same part of the sky and at the same time as a gamma ray burst. Recently, we have found the best evidence for the association of GRBs and supernovae based on optical and radio observations of GRB 011121, which showed a clear re-brightening Gamma-ray Bursts FAQ
1. What are Gamma-ray bursts, and what are gamma rays?
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs for short) are intense and short (approximately 0.1-100 seconds long) bursts of gamma-ray radiation that occur all over the sky approximately once per day at very large distances from Earth. Gamma rays are very energetic photons (E>10^5 eV), which represent the most extreme portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (ranging from radio waves at the lowest energies through visible optical light at higher energies, to gamma rays at the highest energies).
2.How are Gamma-ray bursts named?
The naming system for gamma ray bursts is very simple: "GRB yymmdd". For exmaple, a gamma ray burst which occured on July 4, 1999 is called GRB 990704. If there is more than one gamma ray burst on the same day, the letter a, b, c, etc. are added to the name (for example, the second gamma ray burst on July 4, 1999 is called GRB 990704b).
3. Where do Gamma-ray bursts occur?
Up until the 1990s and the launch of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO; see next question) there was a heated debate in the astronomical community about the source of, and distance to gamma ray bursts. One group claimed that gamma ray bursts occur in our own galaxy (the Milky Way), while others claimed that they occur in very distant galaxies. The main reason put forward by the group which claimed a local origin was the extreme energy release that is necessary to explain the observed emission from gamma ray bursts (see question 10). However, from the information gathered by CGRO, and later confirmation from observations of gamma-ray burst afterglows (see below), it was determined unambiguously that gamma-ray bursts take place in very distant galaxies (several billion light years away). The most distant Gamma-ray burst detected so far occured 13 billion light years away. This means that the gamma ray emission from gamma ray bursts that we observe now has been emitted billions of years ago, when the Universe was much younger.
4. How often do Gamma-ray bursts occur?
Based on almost 30 years of observing gamma ray bursts, we now think that on average there is one gamma ray burst per day somewhere in the Universe. However, recent developments in the study of gamma ray bursts indicates that the true number of these events may be 500 times larger. This means that we only see one out of every 500 gamma ray bursts.
5. How are gamma-ray bursts detected?
Gamma ray bursts are detected by satellites orbiting the Earth and travelling through the Solar system. They can only be detected from space because the Earthīs atmosphere absorbs gamma rays and therefore we cannot observe them from the ground. The first gamma ray bursts were detected by the Vela satellites, which were launched in the 1960s to ensure compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Since then several thousand gamma ray bursts have been detected by satellites such as the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) and the Interplanetary Network (IPN).
6. What is the distribution of Gamma ray bursts on the sky?
The distribution of several thousand bursts which were detected primarily by the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on CGRO is uniform across the sky. This means that there is no prefered direction from which we detect more gamma ray bursts. This distribution was the first indication that gamma ray bursts occur in bery distant galaxies and not in our own galaxy.
7. How much energy is released in gamma ray bursts?
Gamma ray bursts release extremely large amount of energy - approximately 10^52 ergs (or 10^45 joules), with the most extreme bursts releasing up to 10^54 ergs. This is the equivalent of turning a star like the Sun into pure energy (using Einsteinīs famous equation E=mc^2). This is also the amount of energy released by 1000 stars like the Sun over their entire lifetime! In practice, over the few seconds that a gamma ray burst occurs, it releases almost the same amount of energy as the entire Universe! This exteremly large energy release is the reason that astronomers initially believed that gamma ray bursts come from our own galaxy (see question 6). For those of us who live with rolling blackouts (i.e. Californians), the energy from a gamma ray burst (if it was converted to electricity) could supply the entire worldīs energy needs for a billion billion billion (thatīs 1 with 27 zeroes after it) years!
8. Is there more than one type of gamma ray burst?
The study of several thousand bursts has shown that there are two main classes of gamma ray bursts: those shorter than 2 seconds, and those longer than 2 seconds. In addition, it was found that the short bursts release more of their energy in very energetic gamma rays relative to the longer bursts. Therefore the terminology that is used to describe the two classes is "short and hard" and "long and soft". All of all bursts that have been studied in detail so far are "long and soft". Therefore, most of the details that are described in this FAQ page pertain only to the "long and soft" class.
9. What is the source (progenitor) of gamma-ray bursts?
In the first years of gamma ray burst research there were more proposed sources (or progenitors) for gamma ray bursts than the actual number of gamma ray bursts detected! However, ever since it was determined that gamma ray bursts occur at very large distances (and therefore release huge amounts of energy) the list of proposed progenitors shrunk into two main classes: very massive stars, and binary (2 star) systems composed of neutron stars or black holes. It is now thought that the "long and soft" bursts come from massive stars, while the "short and hard" bursts come from binary systems. Recently, observations of GRB 011121 (Bloom et al. 2002; Price et al. 2002) revealed a SN explosion which accompanied the GRB, and a circumburst environment typical of what is usually found around massive stars (see more on this intersting burst below). These results support the idea that the "long and soft" bursts are the end product of massive stars.
10. How are massive stars thought to produce gamma ray bursts?
Astronomers now think that the iron cores of some very massive stars (at least 30 times more massive than the Sun) can collapse into black holes several million years after they form. The energy released in the formation of the black hole emerges out of the collapsed star in the form of a gamma ray burst. Gamma ray burst astronomers call this the "collapsar" model. Other names are "hypernova" or "failed supernova" models. These names hint that there may be a connection between gamma ray bursts and supernovae (see below).
11. How are binary systems thought to produce gamma ray bursts?
It is known that most stars in the Universe reside in multiple systems of 2 (binary), 3 and even 4 stars. Some of the binary systems have two stars more massive than about ten times the mass of the Sun, and eventually after these stars die they leave behind neutron stars or black holes. Over time the two objects in the system spiral in toward each other and eventually they merge into a single black hole. As in the case of the "collapsar" model (see question 9) the formation of the black hole results in large amounts of energy release. The name astronomers use for this scenario is "coalescence".
12. Is there a relation between the progenitor of the gamma ray burst and the type of gamma ray burst?
It is now thought that the "long and soft" gamma ray burts come from the collapse of massive stars, while the "short and hard" bursts come from the merger of binary systems. This result comes from computer simulations which show that the merger of neutron star or black hole binaries occurs much faster than the collapse of the iron core of a massive star.
13. Are gamma ray bursts related to black holes?
Yes. The two main models of gamma ray bursts (see questions 9 and 10) both theorize that gamma ray bursts arise during the formation of a new black hole.
14. Are gamma ray bursts related to super-massive black holes in Quasars and Active Galactic Nuclei?
Probably not. There is evidence that some gamma ray bursts occur very close to the centers of galaxies where super-massive black holes may reside. However, most gamma ray bursts occur far enough from the centers to exclude an association with super-massive black holes. In addition, no gamma ray burst has ever been observed to repeat as would be expected if they come from super-massive black holes which are active for tens of millions of years.
15. How is the energy from the newly-formed black hole turned into gamma rays?
The energy from the newly formed black hole, along with some material from the collapsed star, is ejected outward in several shells with different speeds over a period of a few seconds. As a faster shell catches up to a slower one, the two shells collide and this collision produces gamma rays. The merged shell then continues moving out until the next shell catches up and collides with it, releasing more gamma rays. This process is called "internal shocks".
16. What are afterglows?
An afterglow is the emission that follows a gamma ray burst in other parts of the spectrum, ranging from radio waves to X-rays, and lasting from a few days to several years. The afterglows fade away over time in a well-understood manner. The discovery of the first afterglows in 1997 was made possible by the Italian-Dutch satellite BeppoSAX. This discovery (and the detection of approximately 50 afterglows over the past 4 years) has revolutionized the field of gamma ray burst astronomy.
17. How are gamma ray burst afterglows detected?
The first step in the detection of afterglows is always the detection of a new gamma ray burst by a satellite such as the IPN, BeppoSAX, and HETE-II (see qeustion 4). The information from the satellite is quickly sent down to Earth and is distributed to gamma ray burst astronomers by email, pagers, and cellular phones. When astronomers get the information, they observe the part of the sky where the gamma ray burst occured, and look for an object which fades quickly. Different kinds of telescopes are used including radio and optical telescopes all over the world. When the afterglow is found, its exact position on the sky is sent around to all astronomers who subscribe to the GRB Coordinates Network (GCN). For the next few weeks to years astronomers continue to monitor the fading afterglow.
18. Do we see an afterglow from every gamma ray burst?
In principal every gamma ray burst is followed by an afterglow. However, we do not always see these afterglows for several reasons. First, prior to 1997 and the launch of the BeppoSAX satellite (see question 15) it was impossible to find the position of gamma ray burst accurately enough to detect the afterglow. Second, even after 1997 the afterglows from some gamma ray bursts are too faint to detect from Earth. Third, some of the gamma ray bursts occur during the day so we cannot use optical telescopes to look for them (in this case we can still find the afterglow with radio telescopes). Finally, some gamma ray bursts occur in galaxies that contain a lot of dust. This dust can completely block the optical light from the afterglow.
19. How many afterglows have been detected since the first one in 1997?
Approximately 50 afterglows have been detected with X-ray telescopes (see question 15) so far in almost 4 years of observations. However, of these 50 afterglows only approximately 40% have also been detected with optical or radio telescopes. So, on average an afterglow is detected once a month.
20. How are afterglows formed?
As we have seen previously (question 14) the gamma ray burst is formed when shells of energy and matter ejected by the newly-formed hole collide and merge ("internal shocks"). After the shells merge into a single shell, this shell continues to move away from the black hole and, like a snowplow, it gathers up material from interstellar space (even though it is assumed that space is empty, in reality it is full of protons and electrons). As the shell sweeps up more and more material it slows down and releases energy. This is the energy that we observe as the afterglow. This process is called an "extrenal shock".
21. Why do afterglows fade over time?
As was explained in the previous question, the expanding shell from the gamma ray burst gathers up material, and imparts energy to this material. Initially, the shell has more energy and it accelerates the material that it gathers up into high energies. As the shell loses energy it gives less and less energy to the material and therefore the emission becomes weaker. Eventually, the material loses so much energy that the light from the afterglow becomes too faint to be seen from Earth even with the largest telescopes.
22. What telescopes are used to detect afterglows?
Gamma ray burst astronomers use many telescopes around the world to look for and monitor gamma ray bursts. These telescopes inculde the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chnadra X-ray Observatory in space, the Keck telescopes in Hawaii, the Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico (featured in the movie Contact starring Jodie Foster), the Very Large Telescope in South America, and many other smaller telescopes.
23. What do we learn from observing afterglows?
Observations of the afterglows all across the spectrum tell us many things about gamma ray bursts. First, observations of the first afterglow in 1997 confirmed that gamma ray bursts occur in very distant galaxies (see question 2). Second, from observations of the afterglow we can determine how much energy was released in the gamma ray burst. Third, we can determine how much material was present in the vicinity of the gamma ray burst. Finally, we can find information on the physics of the "external shocks" (see question 16).
24. What is scintillation and how is it related to afterglows and their sizes?
Scintillation is the reason that stars twinkle and planets donīt. Why is there a difference? Simply it is because stars are very far away and therefore appear to be very small, while planets are closer to us and therefore appear to be bigger. Now, afterglows show the same twinkling since they are very far away and so appear very small. But instead of twinkling of their optical light (as in the case of stars), the twinkling of afterglows is seen in radio waves. As opposed to stars, however, afterglows become bigger with time since they expand outward (see question 19) and therefore the scintillation (twinkling) stops after a few weeks. This effect has been observed in several afterglows and it tells us how big afterglows really are.
25. How big are gamma ray burst afterglows?
The twinkling of radio waves from afterglows (see question 23) has shown that afterglows start very small (about the size of the Earthīs orbit around the Sun), and then expand and become larger than the Solar system.
26. Are gamma ray bursts related to supernovae?
There are now two pieces of evidence which show that soon before the gamma ray burst happens a supernova also forms. Supernovae are explosions that accompany the death of massive stars, but they are different from gamma ray bursts in the way they release energy. What evidence is there for this connection? First, observations of some afterglows with optical telescopes show a re-brightening of these afterglows a few weeks after they are first observed (as was mentioned previously, afterglows usually just fade away until they become to faint to observe). This re-brightening cannot come from the afterglow, but it is naturally explained in terms of a supernova that happened just before the gamma ray burst. A second piece of evidence comes from the detection of a supernova (called 1998bw) in the same part of the sky and at the same time as a gamma ray burst. Recently, we have found the best evidence for the association of GRBs and supernovae based on optical and radio observations of GRB 011121, which showed a clear re-brightening of the optical light and a direct signature of tGamma-ray Bursts FAQ
1. What are Gamma-ray bursts, and what are gamma rays?
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs for short) are intense and short (approximately 0.1-100 seconds long) bursts of gamma-ray radiation that occur all over the sky approximately once per day at very large distances from Earth. Gamma rays are very energetic photons (E>10^5 eV), which represent the most extreme portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (ranging from radio waves at the lowest energies through visible optical light at higher energies, to gamma rays at the highest energies).
2.How are Gamma-ray bursts named?
The naming system for gamma ray bursts is very simple: "GRB yymmdd". For exmaple, a gamma ray burst which occured on July 4, 1999 is called GRB 990704. If there is more than one gamma ray burst on the same day, the letter a, b, c, etc. are added to the name (for example, the second gamma ray burst on July 4, 1999 is called GRB 990704b).
3. Where do Gamma-ray bursts occur?
Up until the 1990s and the launch of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO; see next question) there was a heated debate in the astronomical community about the source of, and distance to gamma ray bursts. One group claimed that gamma ray bursts occur in our own galaxy (the Milky Way), while others claimed that they occur in very distant galaxies. The main reason put forward by the group which claimed a local origin was the extreme energy release that is necessary to explain the observed emission from gamma ray bursts (see question 10). However, from the information gathered by CGRO, and later confirmation from observations of gamma-ray burst afterglows (see below), it was determined unambiguously that gamma-ray bursts take place in very distant galaxies (several billion light years away). The most distant Gamma-ray burst detected so far occured 13 billion light years away. This means that the gamma ray emission from gamma ray bursts that we observe now has been emitted billions of years ago, when the Universe was much younger.
4. How often do Gamma-ray bursts occur?
Based on almost 30 years of observing gamma ray bursts, we now think that on average there is one gamma ray burst per day somewhere in the Universe. However, recent developments in the study of gamma ray bursts indicates that the true number of these events may be 500 times larger. This means that we only see one out of every 500 gamma ray bursts.
5. How are gamma-ray bursts detected?
Gamma ray bursts are detected by satellites orbiting the Earth and travelling through the Solar system. They can only be detected from space because the Earthīs atmosphere absorbs gamma rays and therefore we cannot observe them from the ground. The first gamma ray bursts were detected by the Vela satellites, which were launched in the 1960s to ensure compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Since then several thousand gamma ray bursts have been detected by satellites such as the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) and the Interplanetary Network (IPN).
6. What is the distribution of Gamma ray bursts on the sky?
The distribution of several thousand bursts which were detected primarily by the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on CGRO is uniform across the sky. This means that there is no prefered direction from which we detect more gamma ray bursts. This distribution was the first indication that gamma ray bursts occur in bery distant galaxies and not in our own galaxy.
7. How much energy is released in gamma ray bursts?
Gamma ray bursts release extremely large amount of energy - approximately 10^52 ergs (or 10^45 joules), with the most extreme bursts releasing up to 10^54 ergs. This is the equivalent of turning a star like the Sun into pure energy (using Einsteinīs famous equation E=mc^2). This is also the amount of energy released by 1000 stars like the Sun over their entire lifetime! In practice, over the few seconds that a gamma ray burst occurs, it releases almost the same amount of energy as the entire Universe! This exteremly large energy release is the reason that astronomers initially believed that gamma ray bursts come from our own galaxy (see question 6). For those of us who live with rolling blackouts (i.e. Californians), the energy from a gamma ray burst (if it was converted to electricity) could supply the entire worldīs energy needs for a billion billion billion (thatīs 1 with 27 zeroes after it) years!
8. Is there more than one type of gamma ray burst?
The study of several thousand bursts has shown that there are two main classes of gamma ray bursts: those shorter than 2 seconds, and those longer than 2 seconds. In addition, it was found that the short bursts release more of their energy in very energetic gamma rays relative to the longer bursts. Therefore the terminology that is used to describe the two classes is "short and hard" and "long and soft". All of all bursts that have been studied in detail so far are "long and soft". Therefore, most of the details that are described in this FAQ page pertain only to the "long and soft" class.
9. What is the source (progenitor) of gamma-ray bursts?
In the first years of gamma ray burst research there were more proposed sources (or progenitors) for gamma ray bursts than the actual number of gamma ray bursts detected! However, ever since it was determined that gamma ray bursts occur at very large distances (and therefore release huge amounts of energy) the list of proposed progenitors shrunk into two main classes: very massive stars, and binary (2 star) systems composed of neutron stars or black holes. It is now thought that the "long and soft" bursts come from massive stars, while the "short and hard" bursts come from binary systems. Recently, observations of GRB 011121 (Bloom et al. 2002; Price et al. 2002) revealed a SN explosion which accompanied the GRB, and a circumburst environment typical of what is usually found around massive stars (see more on this intersting burst below). These results support the idea that the "long and soft" bursts are the end product of massive stars.
10. How are massive stars thought to produce gamma ray bursts?
Astronomers now think that the iron cores of some very massive stars (at least 30 times more massive than the Sun) can collapse into black holes several million years after they form. The energy released in the formation of the black hole emerges out of the collapsed star in the form of a gamma ray burst. Gamma ray burst astronomers call this the "collapsar" model. Other names are "hypernova" or "failed supernova" models. These names hint that there may be a connection between gamma ray bursts and supernovae (see below).
11. How are binary systems thought to produce gamma ray bursts?
It is known that most stars in the Universe reside in multiple systems of 2 (binary), 3 and even 4 stars. Some of the binary systems have two stars more massive than about ten times the mass of the Sun, and eventually after these stars die they leave behind neutron stars or black holes. Over time the two objects in the system spiral in toward each other and eventually they merge into a single black hole. As in the case of the "collapsar" model (see question 9) the formation of the black hole results in large amounts of energy release. The name astronomers use for this scenario is "coalescence".
12. Is there a relation between the progenitor of the gamma ray burst and the type of gamma ray burst?
It is now thought that the "long and soft" gamma ray burts come from the collapse of massive stars, while the "short and hard" bursts come from the merger of binary systems. This result comes from computer simulations which show that the merger of neutron star or black hole binaries occurs much faster than the collapse of the iron core of a massive star.
13. Are gamma ray bursts related to black holes?
Yes. The two main models of gamma ray bursts (see questions 9 and 10) both theorize that gamma ray bursts arise during the formation of a new black hole.
14. Are gamma ray bursts related to super-massive black holes in Quasars and Active Galactic Nuclei?
Probably not. There is evidence that some gamma ray bursts occur very close to the centers of galaxies where super-massive black holes may reside. However, most gamma ray bursts occur far enough from the centers to exclude an association with super-massive black holes. In addition, no gamma ray burst has ever been observed to repeat as would be expected if they come from super-massive black holes which are active for tens of millions of years.
15. How is the energy from the newly-formed black hole turned into gamma rays?
The energy from the newly formed black hole, along with some material from the collapsed star, is ejected outward in several shells with different speeds over a period of a few seconds. As a faster shell catches up to a slower one, the two shells collide and this collision produces gamma rays. The merged shell then continues moving out until the next shell catches up and collides with it, releasing more gamma rays. This process is called "internal shocks".
16. What are afterglows?
An afterglow is the emission that follows a gamma ray burst in other parts of the spectrum, ranging from radio waves to X-rays, and lasting from a few days to several years. The afterglows fade away over time in a well-understood manner. The discovery of the first afterglows in 1997 was made possible by the Italian-Dutch satellite BeppoSAX. This discovery (and the detection of approximately 50 afterglows over the past 4 years) has revolutionized the field of gamma ray burst astronomy.
17. How are gamma ray burst afterglows detected?
The first step in the detection of afterglows is always the detection of a new gamma ray burst by a satellite such as the IPN, BeppoSAX, and HETE-II (see qeustion 4). The information from the satellite is quickly sent down to Earth and is distributed to gamma ray burst astronomers by email, pagers, and cellular phones. When astronomers get the information, they observe the part of the sky where the gamma ray burst occured, and look for an object which fades quickly. Different kinds of telescopes are used including radio and optical telescopes all over the world. When the afterglow is found, its exact position on the sky is sent around to all astronomers who subscribe to the GRB Coordinates Network (GCN). For the next few weeks to years astronomers continue to monitor the fading afterglow.
18. Do we see an afterglow from every gamma ray burst?
In principal every gamma ray burst is followed by an afterglow. However, we do not always see these afterglows for several reasons. First, prior to 1997 and the launch of the BeppoSAX satellite (see question 15) it was impossible to find the position of gamma ray burst accurately enough to detect the afterglow. Second, even after 1997 the afterglows from some gamma ray bursts are too faint to detect from Earth. Third, some of the gamma ray bursts occur during the day so we cannot use optical telescopes to look for them (in this case we can still find the afterglow with radio telescopes). Finally, some gamma ray bursts occur in galaxies that contain a lot of dust. This dust can completely block the optical light from the afterglow.
19. How many afterglows have been detected since the first one in 1997?
Approximately 50 afterglows have been detected with X-ray telescopes (see question 15) so far in almost 4 years of observations. However, of these 50 afterglows only approximately 40% have also been detected with optical or radio telescopes. So, on average an afterglow is detected once a month.
20. How are afterglows formed?
As we have seen previously (question 14) the gamma ray burst is formed when shells of energy and matter ejected by the newly-formed hole collide and merge ("internal shocks"). After the shells merge into a single shell, this shell continues to move away from the black hole and, like a snowplow, it gathers up material from interstellar space (even though it is assumed that space is empty, in reality it is full of protons and electrons). As the shell sweeps up more and more material it slows down and releases energy. This is the energy that we observe as the afterglow. This process is called an "extrenal shock".
21. Why do afterglows fade over time?
As was explained in the previous question, the expanding shell from the gamma ray burst gathers up material, and imparts energy to this material. Initially, the shell has more energy and it accelerates the material that it gathers up into high energies. As the shell loses energy it gives less and less energy to the material and therefore the emission becomes weaker. Eventually, the material loses so much energy that the light from the afterglow becomes too faint to be seen from Earth even with the largest telescopes.
22. What telescopes are used to detect afterglows?
Gamma ray burst astronomers use many telescopes around the world to look for and monitor gamma ray bursts. These telescopes inculde the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chnadra X-ray Observatory in space, the Keck telescopes in Hawaii, the Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico (featured in the movie Contact starring Jodie Foster), the Very Large Telescope in South America, and many other smaller telescopes.
23. What do we learn from observing afterglows?
Observations of the afterglows all across the spectrum tell us many things about gamma ray bursts. First, observations of the first afterglow in 1997 confirmed that gamma ray bursts occur in very distant galaxies (see question 2). Second, from observations of the afterglow we can determine how much energy was released in the gamma ray burst. Third, we can determine how much material was present in the vicinity of the gamma ray burst. Finally, we can find information on the physics of the "external shocks" (see question 16).
24. What is scintillation and how is it related to afterglows and their sizes?
Scintillation is the reason that stars twinkle and planets donīt. Why is there a difference? Simply it is because stars are very far away and therefore appear to be very small, while planets are closer to us and therefore appear to be bigger. Now, afterglows show the same twinkling since they are very far away and so appear very small. But instead of twinkling of their optical light (as in the case of stars), the twinkling of afterglows is seen in radio waves. As opposed to stars, however, afterglows become bigger with time since they expand outward (see question 19) and therefore the scintillation (twinkling) stops after a few weeks. This effect has been observed in several afterglows and it tells us how big afterglows really are.
25. How big are gamma ray burst afterglows?
The twinkling of radio waves from afterglows (see question 23) has shown that afterglows start very small (about the size of the Earthīs orbit around the Sun), and then expand and become larger than the Solar system.
26. Are gamma ray bursts related to supernovae?
There are now two pieces of evidence which show that soon before the gamma ray burst happens a supernova also forms. Supernovae are explosions that accompany the death of massive stars, but they are different from gamma ray bursts in the way they release energy. What evidence is there for this connection? First, observations of some afterglows with optical telescopes show a re-brightening of these afterglows a few week |
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Re: GRB GAMMA RAY BURSTS (views: 188)
SevenSeals -- Tuesday, 5 October 2004, 2:41 p.m.
GRB GAMMA RAY BURSTS *PIC* (views: 496)
SevenSeals -- Tuesday, 5 October 2004, 1:46 p.m.
Re: GAMMA-RAY-BURST DEC. 23 "STARTED IT ALL"? (views: 131)
SevenSeals -- Tuesday, 18 January 2005, 12:46 p.m.
Re: GAMMA-RAY-BURST DEC. 23 "STARTED IT ALL"? (views: 155)
SevenSeals -- Tuesday, 18 January 2005, 12:33 p.m.
GRB January 17, 2005 - GRB050117 (views: 1022)
SevenSeals -- Tuesday, 18 January 2005, 1:26 a.m.
search SevenSeals messages for info.about GRBīs effects on space & earth, ect.
[link to www.surfingtheapocalypse.net] |
| Emperor Kenton
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
the timing issue [how a GRB travels in space] is
still in debate and involves issues such as
the speed of light as compared to the speed of
gravity.
See:
[link to www.ldolphin.org]
LaViolette for instance theorizes that in some
cases the gravity wave might arrive before the
light.
[link to www.etheric.com]
Iīm beginning to see in my mind a fluid
space-time with many subtle forces, similar to
our own oceans.
Iīm also not opposed to the notion that some of
what we now call fundamental laws might change
too.
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
yyy/mm/dd hh:mm:ss degrees degrees km
2005/03/28 23:44:44 2.81N 96.31E 28.5 4.9 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 23:39:48 2.92N 96.34E 30.0 5.5 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 23:37:31 2.93N 96.34E 29.4 5.7 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 23:13:00 0.19N 97.02E 30.0 5.7 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 21:34:07 0.84N 97.74E 30.0 4.9 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 20:35:17 1.72N 97.09E 30.0 5.2 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 20:23:21 0.87N 97.69E 30.0 5.2 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 20:19:09 4.95N 92.32E 30.0 5.0 OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
2005/03/28 20:06:26 1.08N 97.37E 30.0 5.4 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 19:02:19 1.01N 97.82E 30.0 5.8 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 18:48:52 2.73N 95.96E 30.0 5.5 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 18:30:43 0.92N 97.80E 30.0 6.1 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 17:59:47 0.95N 97.80E 30.0 5.3 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 16:38:43 1.37N 97.36E 30.0 6.0 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
2005/03/28 16:09:36 2.06N 97.01E 30.0 8.7 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA |
| Gisgaia - nli
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Well, well, well, what do you know? Hmmm, lookie here yīall,,, seen this from NASA? 1985 was 20 years ago - wow!
Use keywords to search for more such reports via the NASA ADS Harvard search engine at the home page. Note that "GLE" (ground level event) is a major keyword for searching scientific literature on signficant cosmic ray events. This one below came up on google but also recall that Sorcha Faal cited something by Dr. Yu in one of her articles in past few weeks. Seems like it was her article that came out right after that 2.5 eq in Florida that was also accompanied by huge booms. Booms that ptb tried to claim as sonic booms by jets from nearby mil base, ha, donīt think too many folks bought that bs tho!
Remembering that mysterious Florida Boom & EQ a few weeks ago also makes me wonder if there could be a connection with the mystery illness that is in Orlando area? The children that had gone to a petting zoo & then 7 got sick all at once - symptoms were kidney failure from hemolytic uremia, I think? Last CNN report I heard was on Sat 26th & reporter said more were getting sick so 15 total, some very critical.
Anyhow ------- will go look & add additional info in follow-up post.
NASA ADS Astronomy/Planetary Abstract Service
[link to adsabs.harvard.edu]
--------------------------------
Title: Strong earthquakes, novae and cosmic ray environment
Authors: Yu, Z. D.
Affiliation: Hubei Research Inst. of Environmental Protection, Wuhan (China).
Journal: In NASA. Goddard Space Flight Center 19th Intern. Cosmic Ray Conf., Vol. 5 p 529-532 (SEE N85-34991 23-93)
Publication Date: 08/1985
Category: Space Radiation
Origin: STI
NASA/STI Keywords: COSMIC RAY SHOWERS, NOVAE, SEA LEVEL, SEISMOLOGY, SOLAR COSMIC RAYS, EARTHQUAKES, PREDICTIONS
Bibliographic Code: 1985ICRC....5..529Y
Abstract
Observations about the relationship between seismic activity and astronomical phenomena are discussed. First, after investigating the seismic data (magnitude 7.0 and over) with the method of superposed epochs it is found that world seismicity evidently increased after the occurring of novae with apparent magnitude brighter than 2.2. Second, a great many earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 and over occurred in the 13th month after two of the largest ground level solar cosmic ray events (GLEs). The causes of three high level phenomena of global seismic activity in 1918-1965 can be related to these, and it is suggested that according to the information of large GLE or bright nova predictions of the times of global intense seismic activity can be made.
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Emperor Kenton
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
EMAIL:
3/28/2005 7:52:37 PM Pacific Standard Time
Hi Kent, Iīm picking up strong gamma ray bursts
at my place with counts of 40,000 per second.
Normally the background radiation is about 2000
counts per second. The time is approximately
9:46pm CST 3/28/05.
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| john galt
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
[link to 137.229.36.30]
start from the 20-28 notice the pattern & frequency range from December? Go back to december 20-28th. The data may not be there , but I saved to disk.
Note, Elfrad went offline on the 20th, but not before recording a large spike.
0-30hertz
[link to www.elfrad.com]
0-50hertz spike
[link to www.elfrad.com] |
| john galt
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
You got it Kent! I said saturday when it hit well, if we hacve a big one in a couple of days we will know whats causing them, The great creator, the Almighty! |
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
recent research 4/2005
Title:
Terrestrial Ozone Depletion due to a Milky Way Gamma-Ray Burst
Authors:
Thomas, Brian C.; Jackman, Charles H.; Melott, Adrian L.; Laird, Claude M.; Stolarski, Richard S.; Gehrels, Neil; Cannizzo, John K.; Hogan, Daniel P.
Affiliation:
AA(University of Kansas, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, 1082 Malott Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045-7582 bthomas@ku.edu, melott@ku.edu, claird@ku.edu.), AB(Laboratory for Atmospheres, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 613.3, Greenbelt, MD 20771; jackman@assess.gsfc.nasa.gov, stolar@polska.gsfc.nasa.gov.), AC(University of Kansas, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, 1082 Malott Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045-7582 bthomas@ku.edu, melott@ku.edu, claird@ku.edu.), AD(University of Kansas, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, 1082 Malott Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045-7582 bthomas@ku.edu, melott@ku.edu, claird@ku.edu.; Also at Haskell Indian Nations University.), AE(Laboratory for Atmospheres, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 613.3, Greenbelt, MD 20771; jackman@assess.gsfc.nasa.gov, stolar@polska.gsfc.nasa.gov.), AF(Laboratory for Astroparticle Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771; gehrels@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov, cannizzo@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov.), AG(Laboratory for Astroparticle Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771; gehrels@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov, cannizzo@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov.), AH(University of Kansas, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, 1082 Malott Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045-7582 bthomas@ku.edu, melott@ku.edu, claird@ku.edu.)
Journal:
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 622, Issue 2, pp. L153-L156. (ApJ Homepage)
Publication Date:
04/2005
Origin:
UCP
ApJ Keywords:
Astrobiology, Gamma Rays: Bursts
Abstract Copyright:
(c) 2005: The American Astronomical Society
DOI:
10.1086/429799
Bibliographic Code:
2005ApJ...622L.153T
Abstract
Based on cosmological rates, it is probable that at least once in the last gigayear the Earth has been irradiated by a gamma-ray burst (GRB) in our Galaxy from within 2 kpc. We have performed the first detailed computation of the effects on the Earthīs atmosphere of one such impulsive event: A 10 s 100 kJ m-2 burst penetrates to the stratosphere causing globally averaged ozone depletion of 35%, with depletion reaching 55% at some latitudes. Significant depletion persists for over 5 years after the burst. A 50% decrease in ozone column density leads to approximately 3 times the normal UVB (280-315 nm; a wavelength band that ozone significantly absorbs and that living organisms are sensitive to) flux, and widespread extinctions are likely, based on extrapolation from sensitivity of modern organisms. Additional effects include a shot of nitrate fertilizer and NO2 opacity in the visible, providing a cooling perturbation to the climate over a similar timescale. These results lend support to the hypothesis that a GRB may have initiated the late Ordovician mass extinction (Melott et al.).
[link to adsabs.harvard.edu] |
| GOAT
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
mitch Battros hypothesis says the same thing.
As well extreme weather is also affected and intensified by sunspots and CMEīs
So whenever that big ass comet or Nibiru and whatever in the hell is out in space gets here, we are going to have real RIDE.
In star treck it was a black monolith that was looking for whales.
WHATEVER
we ARE affected by the space outbursts and Emperor is CORRECT
G eneralist
O f
A ll
T rades
[link to www.cyberspaceorbit.com] |
| Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
Title:
The Supernovae Associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts
Authors:
Matheson, T.
Journal:
The Fate of the Most Massive Stars, ASP Conference Series, Vol. 332, Proceedings of the conference held 23-28 May, 2004 in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Edited by R. Humphreys and K. Stanek. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2005., p.416
Publication Date:
04/2005
Origin:
ASP
Bibliographic Code:
2005ASPC..332..416M
Abstract
Supernovae (SNe) were long suspected as possible mechanisms to produce gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The arguments relied on circumstantial evidence. Several recent GRBs, notably GRB 030329, have provided direct, spectroscopic evidence that SNe and GRBs are related. The SNe associated with GRBs are all of Type Ic, implying a compact progenitor, which has implications for GRB models. Other peculiar Type Ic SNe may help to elucidate the mechanisms involved.
[link to adsabs.harvard.edu] |
| john galt
12/8/2005 10:15 AM
| | Anonymous Coward
12/8/2005 10:15 AM | | Re: SPACEQUAKE EARTHQUAKE | Quote |
These quakes are also very near 0Š lat 90Š long(on both sides of the globe..nicaragua)
ie: "something about 180Š " and the timing of the event (ie: midnight/noon.)in relation to the sun. |
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