Nexus - 0802 - New Times Magazine-pages

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AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT galactic centre, would go entirely undetected. In effect, we live In 1983, when I first proposed the idea that cosmic ray volleys _ on the edge of a "galactic volcano", knowing not the time, are able to propagate to the Earth at close to the speed of light, my magnitude or severity of the next eruption or what impact it will suggestion mostly fell on deaf ears. But it was not long before have on our environment. We stand unprepared to deal with such evidence came forward to support my hypothesis. an event, much less anticipate its arrival. Whether a superwave In 1985, astronomers discovered that Cygnus X-3, a strong cos- may strike several hundred years from now, some time in the mic ray source lying about as far away as the galactic centre coming decade or during this year, there is really no way to tell. (25,000 to 30,000 light years), was showering the Earth with We can get an idea of the frequency of these events by investi- high-energy particles. They found that despite the galaxy's mag- gating the Earth's polar ice core record which registers the arrival netic fields, these particles were able to reach the Earth at the of previous superwaves through elevations in the concentration of speed of light fol- the beryllium-10 lowing = arrow- 1 isotope found in the straight paths.'” : | | ice (see figure 2). Several years Fa Several years later, scientists 4 | I Il | | | | | | before this data found that the Earth 2000 AD 1000 Qo 1000 sooo apo 2o90 BC became available, was also being my 1983 disserta- showered by parti- figure Stat a minor gaiactic centre Explosions te the past 8000 years rales approximate mes tion had ventured .F when radiation pulses arrived from the galactic centre. (These age estimates, taken from Lacy et al.,” have , aves cles from another been decreased by ~70% to correct for the smaller value of 23,000 light years adopted here for the dis- that superwaves high-energy source, | tance to the centre of the galaxy.) recur about every the X-ray pulsar 10,000 years and Hercules X-1."*"° The particles were found to come in bursts that a major event had passed the solar system beginning about spaced by 1.2357 seconds, closely matching the pulsar's intrinsic 14,200 years ago and lasting about 2,000 to 3,000 years. The period. Even though this source was 12,000 light years away, the — beryllium-10 data indicates that this estimate was not far off intervening interstellar medium had such a minor effect on the strike. The record indicates that major superwave events arrive bursts that their pulsation period was constant to within 300 on the average every 26,000 +3,000 years, but sometimes can microseconds. recur after as little as 10,000 to 13,000 years.* Also, it shows that Additional supporting evidence for my superwave theory came _ the last major superwave climaxed between 14,500 and 11,500 in January 2000 at the 195th meeting of the American years ago. Gas motions at the centre of our galaxy™** as well as Astronomical Society, held in Atlanta, Georgia. A group of other astronomical evidence" indicate that the cosmic ray barrage radioastronomers presented findings indicating that the synchro- ending the last ice age indeed originated from a major explosion tron radio emission coming from galactic centre is circularly at our galaxy's core. Given that superwaves have recurred after polarised.” The speaker said he lapses of as little as 10,000 found this result to be "mysteri- ous", since all other galactic years, it is prudent to conclude Prasam Lapes ; * that we are currently due for the cosmic ray sources emit syn- 4 I arrival of another event. chrotron radiation that is instead The polar ice record data pre- linearly polarised. During the sented in figure 2 also show that question period following their o glacial periods correlate with lecture, I pointed out that their a intervals of high cosmic ray findings of circular polarisation a activity, with cosmic ray peaks could be easily explained if the . preferentially coinciding with cosmic rays producing this radi- S = climatic boundaries. This estab- ation were streaming radially 5 lishes that there must be a causal towards us over a long flight E connection between superwaves path. Linearly polarised radia- a and climate, and suggests that tion observed from most galactic = superwaves are active in both sources is instead produced by initiating and terminating ice cosmic rays which are magneti- ages. Also, if the solitary elevat- cally captured into relatively sta- a ed beryllium-10 data can be tionary spiral orbits. Other 2 500) race 1500 sooo 2500 trusted, there may be evidence astronomers present at the meet- — i that a very brief low-intensity ing agreed with this radial tra- Time Between Expulsions (Years) superwave passed us around Jectory interpretation. Figure 4: Amount of time between successive gas expulsions from the 3300 BC. Interestingly, this These findings are reason to | galactic centre, plotted as a frequency histogram. falls at the close of the Neolithic be gravely concerned about the period and precedes the rise of effects of a galactic core explosion. They imply that the civilisation with Old Kingdom Egypt, beginning circa 3100 BC.* generated cosmic rays can impact our planet, virtually without warning, preceded only by the wave-flash from the initial LESSER GALACTIC SUPERWAVES explosion."* Because they travel at the speed of light, superwave The galactic centre may also flare up frequently between major cosmic rays remain cloaked and hidden from our view until the superwave events. Astronomical observation indicates that during very moment they strike.'* Their long journey towards us, as they the past 5,300 years the galactic centre has expelled 14 clouds of cross the 23,000-light-year distance that separates us from the ionised gas.” The dates estimated for these expulsions are shown 1500 LESSER GALACTIC SUPERWAVES The galactic centre may also flare up frequently between major superwave events. Astronomical observation indicates that during the past 5,300 years the galactic centre has expelled 14 clouds of ionised gas.” The dates estimated for these expulsions are shown NEXUS - 55 AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT Timé Between Expulsions (Years) FEBRUARY — MARCH 2001