Post by thread:[OT]: Gamma Ray Bursters

Lucky observation from Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) satellite caught an extremely bright gamma-ray burst in the background, over the edge of the Sun, revealing for the first time that the gamma rays in such a burst are polarized. The result strongly suggests that intense magnetic fields may be the driving force behind these awesome explosions. http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2003/0528rhessigrb.html All sorts of implications for the cosmologists. _________________ SciFi hat on: Gamma Ray Bursters, which are observed approximately daily, and which each emit a brief burst of energy about as great as that from the whole of the rest of the universe, are a favoured means of propelling "star ships"* to within a minuscule fraction of the speed of light. Relativistic trip times "on board" are measured in days to years over intergalactic distances. Trip times to a remote observer are from hundreds to billions of years. GRB propulsion, while 'somewhat more advanced' than anything we are currently capable of, is largely only favoured by those who do not possess FTL capability, or as a means of moving very very large masses, albeit rather slowly. * not a terrible term as each GRB "uses up" the energy previously contributed by many stars in a very brief burst. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

Russell McMahon wrote: > Lucky observation from Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager > (RHESSI) satellite caught an extremely bright gamma-ray burst in the > background, over the edge of the Sun, revealing for the first time that the > gamma rays in such a burst are polarized. The result strongly suggests that > intense magnetic fields may be the driving force behind these awesome > explosions. Wasn't it Larry Niven who asked, "What if gamma ray bursts are really just industrial accidents?" :-) -Johnathan -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.