[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Interstellar radiation spike



I have a network of telemetered environmental detectors here at LBL.  The
Gamma is VERY sensitive and the neutron reasonably so.

I didn't detect anything unusual at the time you mentioned.  I DID see an
approx 15% increase in gamma background at ~1500 PST on 9/26 (2300 ZULU
9/26) but nothing on the 27th.  This event was about 20 minutes long.

I should have easily seen ANYTHING above acouple of microR gamma or neutron
occuring in a short period of time.  Anything say 50% over background would
have been very conspicuous!

The system records integrated counts over 10 minutes intervals -
continuously - so nothing slips past unlike systems that grab rate samples.

Whatever it was that happened - I don't think it was much at all - I don't
see how I could have missed ANYTHING of chest x-ray magnitude (3 to 8 mR).


>Has anyone seen an increased response in terrestrial systems that was
>linked to the August 27th event? I haven't even been able to find out
>what time of day the recently discussed event occurred. Besides a
>general interest, I am interested in information that would enable me to
>speak more authoritatively to members of the public should questions
>arise and in the impact this may have had on laboratory counting
>systems, radiation monitoring systems and the like.

>Rick Edwards, Analyst
>================================================================
>According to an article in our local paper,  the radiation spike reached
>the
>earth after some 20,000 years at 5:22am EDT on August 27th.    Bob
>************************************************************************

************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html