Article

2009-11-07 Science & Technology

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Anonymoose 2009-11-07 16:32|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 any relation in time to that bird dropping french bread on the CERN system?

Posted by 3dc 2009-11-07 17:24|| 2009-11-07 17:24|| Front Page Top

#2 No. A natural process occurrence. Some people recognized that electric storms generate x-rays almost a century ago. They were considered crack pots.

But, Fermi dudes may be a bit presumptive in their observations. It may be shorter wavelength x-rays over the boundary of 100 keV, rather than gamma rays (the wavelengths overlap--the two types of radiation are now usually distinguished by their origin: X-rays are emitted by electrons outside the nucleus, while gamma rays are emitted by the nucleus). So if that is the case and the detected radiation is x-rays, no antimatter is needed.

Note the part: "During lightning storms previously observed by other spacecraft, energetic electrons moving toward the craft slowed down and produced gamma rays."

According to the convention, electrons emit x-rays, not gamma-rays.

QED

Posted by twobyfour 2009-11-07 21:05|| 2009-11-07 21:05|| Front Page Top

#3 Umm... Actually we get perfectly good gamma rays from energetic electrons in a strong magnetic field.

Posted by James">James 2009-11-07 21:55|| http://idontknowbut.blogspot.com]">[http://idontknowbut.blogspot.com] 2009-11-07 21:55|| Front Page Top

#4 James, the distinction is really meaningless. x-rays = gamma rays as the energies go, it is just it has been decided as a convention that x-rays are emitted by electrons and gamma by nucleus.

The question is whether the energy of the emissions recorded by Fermi is only possible by decay of positrons, or is explainable by something that does not require antimatter.

Posted by twobyfour 2009-11-07 23:41|| 2009-11-07 23:41|| Front Page Top

23:59 Woozle Uneter9007
23:50 Woozle Uneter9007
23:46 Woozle Uneter9007
23:41 twobyfour
23:22 trailing wife
23:06 trailing wife
23:05 Woozle Uneter9007
22:55 trailing wife
22:53 trailing wife
22:51 trailing wife
22:50 trailing wife
22:49 trailing wife
22:44 trailing wife
22:43 trailing wife
22:41 trailing wife
22:35 trailing wife
22:33 Zhang Fei
22:26 Pappy
22:22 trailing wife
22:14 trailing wife
22:14 James
22:03 Woozle Uneter9007
22:02 trailing wife
21:58 Steven