Attack of the Killer Electrons 98
Hugh Pickens writes "At the peak of a magnetic storm, the number of highly energetic 'killer electrons' strong enough to damage electronics and human tissue can increase by a factor of more than ten times, posing a danger to spacecraft, satellites, and astronauts. Killer electrons can penetrate satellite shielding, so if electrical discharges take place in vital components, a satellite can be damaged or even rendered inoperable. For many years, the mechanism by which killer electrons are produced has remained poorly understood, in spite of physicists' attempts at solving this puzzle. Now the ESA reports that data shows the increase in the creation of a substantial number of killer electrons is due to a two-step process. First, the initial acceleration is due to the strong shock-related magnetic field compression. Immediately after the impact of the interplanetary shock wave, Earth's magnetic field lines began wobbling at ultra low frequencies. In turn, these ULF waves effectively accelerate the seed electrons (provided by the first step) to become killer electrons. 'These new findings help us to improve the models predicting the radiation environment in which satellites and astronauts operate. With solar activity now ramping up, we expect more of these shocks to impact our magnetosphere over the months and years to come,' says Philippe Escoubet, ESA's Cluster mission manager."
Re:Oh yeah? (Score:5, Funny)
Were you also implying that everything down there is on the subatomic scale?
Killer Electrons (Score:5, Funny)
Tin-foil hats coming back in style? (Score:3, Funny)
I'm not worried! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:All of My Electrons are Certified Organic (Score:5, Funny)
Okay that all sounds pretty reasonable, but explain the What In The Name of Jeebus Is That Nebula, or the I Couldn't Even Begin To Explain What's Going On Here Quasar.
beta rays (Score:1, Funny)
o noes! Beta rays have changed their name to killer electrons. We are doomed.
Title humor (Score:4, Funny)
In case someone does not get the joke embedded in the title:
http://www.badmovies.org/movies/killtomato/killtomato-song.wav [badmovies.org]
Attaaaaaaack of the killer electrons!
Re:All of My Electrons are Certified Organic (Score:2, Funny)
I think the people who named those worked at the Mt. God I'm So Drunk Observatory.
Obvious (Score:4, Funny)
For many years, the mechanism by which killer electrons are produced has remained poorly understood
Isn't it obvious? Climate Change of course.
Re:Killer Electrons (Score:2, Funny)
So this is what is behind... (Score:1, Funny)
the runaway Toyotas.
Re:All of My Electrons are Certified Organic (Score:2, Funny)
like this: .-- --- --- -
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"wootm" ???