[meteorite-list] Gilligan's Island Meteorite Answer

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

Mark B. wrote:

Answer: False  Cosmic  rays in meteorites, a form of radiation, is far too 
weak to be of 
danger to  anyone.  It is however possible that high expose to cosmic rays 
could  be of danger.

Hello, The above itself is FALSE, with  the precautionary note that I am NOT 
picking on its author in my favorite  public discussion forum.  The Professor 
would have been better off looking  for cosmic rays in the pearls and jewels 
of Ginger's intimate wardrobe,  because:

For a good rundown of the energy of cosmic "rays", don't miss  the Fantastic 
Four movie which should be premiering in 1st string countries any  day now.  
Even Dr. Richards underestimated the energy of the cosmic  "rays".  Shame, he 
should have put some simple magnetic deflection shields  on the ship, since 
cosmic "rays", unlike what we mean by regular "radiation",  are principally 
charged particles (with neutrons, etc., I guess, ok) and become  significantly 
deflected by magnetic fields.  That is why relatively few  reach the Earth - 
thanks to the magnetic field orientation in our "iron core",  in addition to the 
Solar wind sweeping them out into interplanetary space -  since the Solar wind 
is just a stream of charge particles suitable for  interation as well.  

Note, Cosmic "rays" are NOT a form of  radiation in the electromagnetic 
sense.  The confusion with radiation gets  worse when one considers that collisions 
of cosmic "rays" with other molecules,  atoms, and particles can release true 
radiation in the form of the most powerful  radiation: gamma radiation and 
subatomic particles from what they collide with  like muons...
Cosmic "rays" are typically nuclear particles, simply going  soooooo fast 
after probable ejection from supernovas elsewhere, that each "ray"  a.k.a. 
particle, packs a tremendous whallop.  The most powerful cosmic  "ray" on record, I 
believe, (might be a proton or probably a nucleus of  something larger) with 
the same energy as pitched 100 mph (160 km/hr) fastball  (baseball)!  That an 
object like a meteorite be a source of Cosmic rays is  sillyness.  While it may 
have been exposed to cosmic rays in space,  particles going this fast will 
likely be about as far away as Mars by the time  the meteorite hits the ground, 
and travel for another 5,000,000 years maybe  before the next event happens to 
it.  The typical speed of these babies is  50% to ever so slightly less than 
100% the speed of light.  That explains  the scalp scratching question of how 
a baseball's energy can be packed into one  little proton!

And regarding the test for "Cosmic Ray Age" age of a  meteorite, any 
reasonable scientifically inclined meteoritical type worth his  water should be able 
to relate that cosmic "ray" determinations assume cosmic  "ray" bombardment 
until arrival at earth, when it mostly stops instantly, due to  earth's 
shielding.  What is measured is the resulting isotopes produced by  cosmic ray particle 
collisions in the "interstellar" (or approximated by  interplanetary) medium. 
 In other words heavy atomic fragment called heavy  helium 3 suddenly appears 
after a collision altered a larger particle.  And  of course some radiation 
to balance the energy was released to maintain an  energy balance...and if the 
residual happens to be still radioactive, well then  you have a new radiation 
source, but it most certainly isn't a cosmic  "ray",,,
Damn transporter, beam me up, Doug