(GRB's) What's the mystery?

[Martin]

If theory is right, then every day in the universe a massive spinning star collapses into a black hole. As the star is consumed by the black hole at its center, focused beams of intense energy shoot into space. These create the bursts of gamma rays seen from Earth. In seconds the colossal star disappears, consumed by one of the most powerful explosions since the big bang.

Say that the gamma ray burst occurs in our galaxy, and let's say that it occurs in that direction. Then the first thing that you would see when the flash of gamma rays arrive to our atmosphere you see a big flash of blue light, tremendous effects which are very similar to those which are when you are standing very close to a nuclear explosion. You would become blind in a very short time. Your skin will be completely burned. Your body will be burned and will be exposed to an enormous dosage of radioactive radiation, which will kill you in a very short time. And the same thing would be happening simultaneously all around the planet: a tremendous shock wave causes devastation; the sea boils; hurricanes spread deadly radiation around the globe. All but the most sheltered species are destroyed. The ozone layer is blasted away. And, unprotected, the earth turns under a continuous barrage of deadly cosmic rays.

Most scientists consider such a global catastrophe unlikely. But there is no doubt that anything caught in the beam of a nearby gamma ray burst would be destroyed. And with a destructive force this powerful throughout the universe, we can find an answer to one of the profound questions of our time.

There are many of stars with planetary systems where life could develop and precede us by billions of years. They are much more advanced civilization...there may be much more advanced civilizations in this universe. So the question "Where are they? Why didn't they visit us? Why didn't they communicate with us?"

With billions of galaxies, the laws of probability seem to favor the existence of alien civilizations. Yet as far as we know, we are alone. Gamma ray bursts might explain this paradox.

This phenomenon of gamma ray bursts is taking place everywhere in any galaxy in the universe and one by one they sterilize life on all the planets in each galaxy. So this is a very effective sterilization process.
If right, then the objects that create gamma ray bursts are truly death stars, destroying life on a galactic scale. Astronomers also see these colossal stars as one of the principle creative forces in the universe, forging new elements that are released as they die. And a new race is on to study them in greater detail.

Such events are among the closest scientists have come to seeing back to the dawn of time, the big bang, some 14 billion years ago. After this primeval explosion, there was no light until clouds of hydrogen and helium ignited to form the first stars. They gave rise to new elements, even the iron that flows through our blood.

Everything that we're made of, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, iron, everything the earth is made of, were formed in the furnaces of these massive stars. The bursts in gamma rays, if these ideas are right, would be being produced by exactly those stars. So by observing the bursts we could find out and determine the moment of first light. We could find out when the first stars formed in the universe.

[Qev]

It's generally thought that a gamma ray burst would have to be located very close to Earth in order for it to have any serious impact on the planetary environment. Even if one were to occur nearby, unless it was right on top of us, the radiation from the burst isn't likely to reach ground level. Instead, it'd destroy the ozone layer and fill the upper atmosphere with nasty nitrogen oxides, causing acid rain, increased ultraviolet exposure, and oddly enough, global cooling.

Note that there aren't any good candidate stars for gamma ray bursts anywhere near the Earth (Eta Carinae is too far). Also, GRBs are apparently very rare in metal-rich galaxies like our own.

[harry]

Hello All

Response to Martin

There are many of stars with planetary systems where life could develop and precede us by billions of years. They are much more advanced civilization...there may be much more advanced civilizations in this universe. So the question "Where are they? Why didn't they visit us? Why didn't they communicate with us?"

With billions of galaxies, the laws of probability seem to favor the existence of alien civilizations. Yet as far as we know, we are alone. Gamma ray bursts might explain this paradox.

Our galaxy is a 100,000 light years across.
Man has been transmitting radio waves for the last 70 odd years. We have not scrached the surface of any form of communication. As for other life to communicate to us they have to overcome their own origin and phase and abilty to commuinicate. The chances are remote considering all the hurdles of evolution and gammar ray bursts. Where are they? Probably out their if not in our galaxy somewhere millions of light years far far away. The search will take thousands of years.
Look at man's evolution from the formation of the seas to mans evolution it took 4 billion years.

This phenomenon of gamma ray bursts is taking place everywhere in any galaxy in the universe and one by one they sterilize life on all the planets in each galaxy. So this is a very effective sterilization process.
If right, then the objects that create gamma ray bursts are truly death stars, destroying life on a galactic scale. Astronomers also see these colossal stars as one of the principle creative forces in the universe, forging new elements that are released as they die. And a new race is on to study them in greater detail.

This is part of the recycle process death and life.

Such events are among the closest scientists have come to seeing back to the dawn of time, the big bang, some 14 billion years ago. After this primeval explosion, there was no light until clouds of hydrogen and helium ignited to form the first stars. They gave rise to new elements, even the iron that flows through our blood.

Martin we see into deep field 13.2 billlion light years and we see galaxies billions of years old. How can you even think of the Big Bang and 14 billion years.This primeval explosion must have had all the matter to form the visible universe and beyond, highly unlikely. As for new elements they are formed within the stars and during supanova and nova explsions.

Everything that we're made of, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, iron, everything the earth is made of, were formed in the furnaces of these massive stars. The bursts in gamma rays, if these ideas are right, would be being produced by exactly those stars. So by observing the bursts we could find out and determine the moment of first light. We could find out when the first stars formed in the universe

.


Because of the recycling process dating of most matter starts from the new formation of those elements. The deeper we look into space the more apparent the universe becomes.


Hey! I could be wrong.