Experiment Demonstrates Direct Influence of Sun Over Radioactivity On Earth

It's a mystery that presented itself unexpectedly: The radioactive decay of some elements sitting quietly in laboratories on Earth seemed to be influenced by activities inside the sun, 93 million miles away. Is this possible? Researchers from Stanford and Purdue University believe it is. But their explanation of how it happens opens the door to yet another mystery. There is even an outside chance that this unexpected effect is brought about by a previously unknown particle emitted by the sun. "That would be truly remarkable," said Peter Sturrock, Stanford professor emeritus of applied physics and an expert on the inner workings of the sun.

SOURCE

It goes on to say...

On Dec 13, 2006, the sun itself provided a crucial clue, when a solar flare sent a stream of particles and radiation toward Earth. Purdue nuclear engineer Jere Jenkins, while measuring the decay rate of manganese-54, a short-lived isotope used in medical diagnostics, noticed that the rate dropped slightly during the flare, a decrease that started about a day and a half before the flare.

If this apparent relationship between flares and decay rates proves true, it could lead to a method of predicting solar flares prior to their occurrence, which could help prevent damage to satellites and electric grids, as well as save the lives of astronauts in space.

The decay-rate aberrations that Jenkins noticed occurred during the middle of the night in Indiana - meaning that something produced by the sun had traveled all the way through the Earth to reach Jenkins' detectors. What could the flare send forth that could have such an effect?

Jenkins and Fischbach guessed that the culprits in this bit of decay-rate mischief were probably solar neutrinos, the almost weightless particles famous for flying at the speed of light through the physical world - humans, rocks, oceans or planets - with virtually no interaction with anything.

This could very well change our understanding of physics.... again....

Thoughts? Feedback? I personally think this is a big deal...

~Namaste

Great find, what I understand is when a the radioactivity of some elements decay a solar flare can be the source. but I am not grasping the whole thing yet,

I watched two days ago on the history channel magnetic storm and got me wondering about future solar activity.

Thanks for the post we need to pay attention to our sun.

Possibly an interaction between the magnetic fields of the Sun and Earth affecting some resonance in the material which in turn reduces the decay rate? Possible 'entanglement' between elements and the Sun?
Interesting.

Maybe the writers of the 2012 Movie were right!

Just imagine that


Great find S&F

Just the simple fact that the sun's behavior has a direct correlation to changes in radioactive decay is HUGE!

The one thing in physics classes and most other related sciences, is that you can almost always depend on the mathematical rate of radioactive decay... so let me put this into perspective...

TIME!!!!

Don't we base time on the atomic clock? Isn't GPS and satellite technology dependent on keep perfect track of time? Isn't an atomic clock based on the radioactive decay of the cesium atom? Aren't most measurements within physics based on a calculation of time? What if that core measurement is wrong?

So if we put two and two together... you could say that time, as we know it and define it, is either A) wrong or B) can no longer be accurately measured by radioactive decay? It can't be another answer unless someone can come up with an exact way to predict the sun's behavior.... the only thing that comes to mind is a sun dial.

I think this is earth-shattering news and will gain more popularity as time goes on, but for now, this should be a hot topic because it can alter the way we perceive time. Could it mean that the sun is altering time itself?

It just so happens that some translations of the 2012 prophecy say that our understanding of time will change forever and it will bring major changes to people and the way we live. Could this be the beginning of that? One can only speculate for now...

~Namaste

reply to post by SWCCFAN


HA! I didn't even think of that.... good catch! Star for you...

~Namaste

Originally posted by SonOfTheLawOfOne
So if we put two and two together... you could say that time, as we know it and define it, is either A) wrong or B) can no longer be accurately measured by radioactive decay?

I was thinking the same thing although I was thinking about the past more than the present. The article briefly mentioned carbon-14 but seemed to be more interested in forecasting solar flares than the implications this could mean for our allegedly known constant of accurate dating. Anyone who's more knowledgeable in science care to elaborate for me? Does this change our dating technique and accuracy?

I think this is earth-shattering news and will gain more popularity as time goes on, but for now, this should be a hot topic because it can alter the way we perceive time. Could it mean that the sun is altering time itself?
~Namaste

Ahh, but which time?


[edit on 8/24/2010 by Three_moons]

Atomic clocks are not based on decay rates. They are based on the emission spectrum of the atom. Cesium 133 is used in atomic clocks. It is a stable isotope which does not decay.


[edit on 8/24/2010 by Phage]

The Cassini probe carries three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators. The decay rate of the plutonium in the generators has shown a decline independent of its distance from the Sun. So that's one part of Jenkins' study which seem to be flawed.
arxiv4.library.cornell.edu...

[edit on 8/24/2010 by Phage]

Hmmm. My first thought here is what does this mean for carbon dating?

Interesting thought.

Originally posted by SonOfTheLawOfOne
Just the simple fact that the sun's behavior has a direct correlation to changes in radioactive decay is HUGE!

The one thing in physics classes and most other related sciences, is that you can almost always depend on the mathematical rate of radioactive decay... so let me put this into perspective...

TIME!!!!

Don't we base time on the atomic clock? Isn't GPS and satellite technology dependent on keep perfect track of time? Isn't an atomic clock based on the radioactive decay of the cesium atom? Aren't most measurements within physics based on a calculation of time? What if that core measurement is wrong?

So if we put two and two together... you could say that time, as we know it and define it, is either A) wrong or B) can no longer be accurately measured by radioactive decay? It can't be another answer unless someone can come up with an exact way to predict the sun's behavior.... the only thing that comes to mind is a sun dial.

If something were affecting all the clocks (changing time) then it would affect the clocks in the instrumentation which were counting the decays, and there wouldn't be any noticable change.

The key test is to check variations in decay rate vs type of nuclear isotope. If it's a complex electroweak neutrino effect then it would vary with various properties of the nuclei. I suspect that's the most likely case.

Originally posted by Phage
The Cassini probe carries three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators. The decay rate of the plutonium in the generators has shown a decline independent of its distance from the Sun. So that's one part of Jenkins' study which seem to be flawed.
arxiv4.library.cornell.edu...

[edit on 8/24/2010 by Phage]

Pu-238 decays via spontaneous fission which is probably a distinct effect from the various decay modes in the nuclei in question.

Checking the latter will lead eventually to the physical origin.

reply to post by Phage


Hello Phage,

I posted in a different thread on this topic -- I think it's an effect of magnetic storm caused by solar flares, on the instrument used to detect radiation. I would need to know more about their gear to come to a more definite conclusion.