Variation of the intensity of cosmic radiation during earth’s geological history and their possible influence on life’s evolution
It has been shown that both the Crab Nebula-s radio and optical emissions are caused by relativistic electrons that move in magnetic fields. As a consequence this nebula contains a great number of relativistic particles, i.e., primary cosmic rays. Hecently it was found that nebulae in Cygnus, a remnant of a supernova explosion which took place several thousand years ago, are also sources of radioemissions. When, owing to the Crab Nebula expansion, its radius will be approximates 5 parsecs, the concentration of relativistic particles will still be 30 times larger than the concentration of primary cosmic rays in the neighborhood of the earth. The sun with its planetary system at times gets into regions of cosmic radiation tens or even hundreds of times higher than at present. This took place when the supernova exploded in the immediate proximity of the sun. During the last 1000 years, at least 5 explosions of supernovae took place in our galaxy. Their distances did not exceed 2000 to 2500 parsecs. Once in 200 million years a supernova explodes at a distance less than 8 parsecs. The biological and genetic consequences of such cosmicray increases are discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Sternberg States Astronomical Inst., Moscow
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-008001
- OSTI ID:
- 4257375
- Journal Information:
- Nuovo Cimento, Vol. 8, Issue S2; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59; ISSN 0029-6341
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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