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| | Term 22: May-August 2009 Term Twenty-two: Mermish Skirmish (Sept 2068 - June 2069) | |
06-22-2009, 06:02 PM
| | |  Astronomy Class - Exploding Stars
Forrester opened his classroom and took a seat at his desk, with a glowing star that would occasionally explode and then return to normal. He always could find the neatest of toys. | |
06-22-2009, 07:03 PM
|
#26 (permalink)
| | Cockatrice
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 28,938
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Professor McFarlane
Graduated | IndyEddie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Antarctica!  Scary things, those GRBs. Most of them happened unimaginably far away, but they were powerful enough to still be seen here, on Earth.
Kiri raised her hand. "I read that gamma ray bursts do hit the Earth sometimes, but they are coming from very, very far away. Like several billion light years, so they get noticed, but they don't do any damage. Are there any stars massive enough in our vicinity to be able to produce one of those bursts?" "Yes. It's called the Sun." Forrester answered briefly and continued on...
"Long-duration GRBs and supernovae may be the best-understood, but they are not the only super-stellar calamities.
Short-duration GRBs do not arise from massive star deaths, but instead are believed to mainly be the merger of two neutron stars. Although less energy is released than in a long-duration GRB, the fraction of high-energy gamma rays is higher. Moreover, short-duration GRBs are more likely to occur in mature galaxies like ours, where neutron stars are more common.
Soft gamma-ray repeaters also originate from neutron stars – supposedly when the super-dense surface cracks. If one of these happened 10 light-years away, the effects could be dramatic. Indeed, on Dec. 27, 2004, the radiation from a soft gamma-ray repeater disrupted radio wave transmissions on Earth. Nothing was damaged, but the source object was an amazing 50,000 light-years away.
Thomas and his colleagues will be pulling together recent data from the Swift satellite and the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope to better estimate the rates and radiation output of soft gamma-ray repeaters, GRBs and supernovae.
Although there's no evidence that one of these went off recently in our neighborhood, it's important to note that our sun migrates around the galaxy and therefore could have brushed next to a star having a high-energy fit."
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We'll always be together cuz we're both under the moon | 
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06-22-2009, 07:04 PM
|
#27 (permalink)
| Formerly: Herminny   Grindylow
Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Florida
Posts: 14,252
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Lucas Devolian
Fifth Year
  x4  x1
| Funny Beauty
Herminny eyed the two late arrivals thinking, everyone is warned to come on time and everyone knows the consequences for arriving late so they should of known better. She sighed as the professor got back to lecturing and her eyes were back to her parchment as she continued to write notes on what seemed to be an all lecture class.
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06-22-2009, 07:05 PM
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#28 (permalink)
| | Cockatrice
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 28,938
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Professor McFarlane
Graduated | Lezlighd - you're fine...that's why I never posted 'entering class' as a student IndyEddie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigwidgeon Took Jude raised his hand, "Excoos meh, Professoah, bu' who is dis 'Thomas' man yer talkin' 'bou'?" he asked, his pen poised over his parchment, waiting to finish his sentence. "Brian Thomas of Washburn University," Forrester answered, and paused a moment so the kiddos could catch up in notes.
__________________
We'll always be together cuz we're both under the moon | |
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06-22-2009, 07:10 PM
|
#29 (permalink)
| | Occamy
Join Date: May 2007 Location: London
Posts: 63,511
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Cora Dredworth
Sixth Year
x1
| connoisseur of comfort ❅ Crayola's Wibby Mrs Alex Turner ❅ Netflix and meow
Clifford was a little confused.. Professor Forrester's lessons were UBER cool - SPACE was uber cool - but goodness gracious was it confusing. This subject was too complex for his icke, simple brain apparently and the Head Boy found himself staring at that toy on the Professor's desk.
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06-22-2009, 07:11 PM
|
#30 (permalink)
| | Welsh Green
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,627
| Are you sure? I thought stellar mass for GRBs had to be around 100x of Sun. Encyclopaedia Galactica
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mistress Vondella "Yes. It's called the Sun." Forrester answered briefly and continued on...
"Long-duration GRBs and supernovae may be the best-understood, but they are not the only super-stellar calamities.
Short-duration GRBs do not arise from massive star deaths, but instead are believed to mainly be the merger of two neutron stars. Although less energy is released than in a long-duration GRB, the fraction of high-energy gamma rays is higher. Moreover, short-duration GRBs are more likely to occur in mature galaxies like ours, where neutron stars are more common.
Soft gamma-ray repeaters also originate from neutron stars – supposedly when the super-dense surface cracks. If one of these happened 10 light-years away, the effects could be dramatic. Indeed, on Dec. 27, 2004, the radiation from a soft gamma-ray repeater disrupted radio wave transmissions on Earth. Nothing was damaged, but the source object was an amazing 50,000 light-years away.
Thomas and his colleagues will be pulling together recent data from the Swift satellite and the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope to better estimate the rates and radiation output of soft gamma-ray repeaters, GRBs and supernovae.
Although there's no evidence that one of these went off recently in our neighborhood, it's important to note that our sun migrates around the galaxy and therefore could have brushed next to a star having a high-energy fit." Kiri still had so many questions! She couldn't even begin to imagine the merger of neutron stars, but there wasn't much time to ask questions, and the things the professor was saying were too interesting to interrupt anyway. She scribbled without pause as he talked.
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06-22-2009, 07:15 PM
|
#31 (permalink)
| | Swedish Short-Snout
Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Wangdoodleland.
Posts: 31,294
| Russian Dancing Snake-Twin | Jam Pony Rider | Has Snuffed It!
"Brian... Thomas..." Jude muttered very quietly as he wrote each word while continuing on his notes.
So much information in so little time, sometimes Professor Forrester amazed Jude's little mind with all this. It was all so interesting but sometimes it was so confusing!
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06-22-2009, 07:18 PM
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#32 (permalink)
| | Cockatrice
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 28,938
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Professor McFarlane
Graduated | IndyEddie
The other half of the study will look at the possible biological aftermath of an astrophysical firework going off nearby.
Gamma rays and X-rays cannot penetrate very far into the Earth's atmosphere, but they still can have a long-lasting impact. The high-energy radiation breaks apart nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the Earth's stratosphere, allowing them to reform as nitric oxide (NO). This molecule destroys ozone in the same way that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) do.
"The effect is like the current ozone hole, but spread over the globe," Thomas says.
Ozone protects life on Earth from the sun's ultraviolet rays. By shattering this atmospheric shield, an astrophysical blast could lead to higher rates of DNA and protein damage in organisms from greater sunlight exposure.
Thomas' group has previously determined that a relatively close GRB could destroy 75 percent of the ozone in certain regions, with a globally averaged depletion of around 35 to 40 percent. In contrast, the ozone hole that currently hovers over Antarctica is at most 60 percent depleted but only accounts for a globally-averaged depletion of 3 to 5 percent.
Thomas says that the ozone destruction would begin as soon as the radiation hits, and would continue for several years. It may take more than a decade for the Earth's ozone shield to return to full strength.
__________________
We'll always be together cuz we're both under the moon | |
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06-22-2009, 07:18 PM
|
#33 (permalink)
| 
Lupin's ♥ for TonksNogtail
Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mooning Over Lupin
Posts: 4,793
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Roman J. Lupin
First Year | GLEEk Magic Picture Finder
Aislynn couldn't help but laugh at all the people scribbling away. All she had to do was listen. But, she knew all this information. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy as she started to drift away.
__________________ This is how I roll, animal print pants out control.
This is how I roll, come on ladies it's time to go! | |
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06-22-2009, 07:25 PM
|
#34 (permalink)
| | Quintaped
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: in my head [GMT-6]
Posts: 58,976
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Jasmine Springer (#229a36)
Graduated
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Emma Montmorency (#301199)
Hufflepuff Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Kartik Ishaan Joshi (#3112da)
Ravenclaw Seventh Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
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Gryffindor Second Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
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Slytherin Fourth Year
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| YesJess! | Captain Goggles | Mama Badger | Eva's Soul Sister | An OG™ | It's all in the Numbers
Dominic had given up trying to take notes; While he had done surprisingly well on his Astronomy OWL, the information being presented now seemed to require more trying to listen and absorb, rather than take it all down in the form of notes.
As he was listening though, he couldn't help but notice the numerous amounts of Slytherins present and that there were few (if any) Hufflepuffs. He would definitely be speaking to them later about class attendance ... except that now they didn't have a private place to do so. Stupid flood.
Right... back to lesson. Gamma rays and exploding stars or something.
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___________________You should take your little finger and just point it in the mirror.
________________________________________Baby, maybe you're the problem ✯ | |
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06-22-2009, 07:26 PM
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#35 (permalink)
| | Puffskein
Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In Phil's Pocket
Posts: 1,807
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Hayley Evans
Fourth Year | Life Saverr! | | Flarby Doodie!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mistress Vondella The other half of the study will look at the possible biological aftermath of an astrophysical firework going off nearby.
Gamma rays and X-rays cannot penetrate very far into the Earth's atmosphere, but they still can have a long-lasting impact. The high-energy radiation breaks apart nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the Earth's stratosphere, allowing them to reform as nitric oxide (NO). This molecule destroys ozone in the same way that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) do.
"The effect is like the current ozone hole, but spread over the globe," Thomas says.
Ozone protects life on Earth from the sun's ultraviolet rays. By shattering this atmospheric shield, an astrophysical blast could lead to higher rates of DNA and protein damage in organisms from greater sunlight exposure.
Thomas' group has previously determined that a relatively close GRB could destroy 75 percent of the ozone in certain regions, with a globally averaged depletion of around 35 to 40 percent. In contrast, the ozone hole that currently hovers over Antarctica is at most 60 percent depleted but only accounts for a globally-averaged depletion of 3 to 5 percent.
Thomas says that the ozone destruction would begin as soon as the radiation hits, and would continue for several years. It may take more than a decade for the Earth's ozone shield to return to full strength. Hayley's head was hurting from all this information.
"Professor, what happens to US if the radiation hits the Ozone and depletes it?"
__________________
<creativity pending> | |
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06-22-2009, 07:27 PM
|
#36 (permalink)
| | Cockatrice
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 28,938
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Professor McFarlane
Graduated | IndyEddie
Quote:
Originally Posted by unicornkeeper07 Aislynn couldn't help but laugh at all the people scribbling away. All she had to do was listen. But, she knew all this information. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy as she started to drift away. "Are we boring you, Aislynn? Pay attention, 5 points from Gryffindor.
"The loss of ozone would have serious effects on life across the planet. One of the most susceptible organisms would be phytoplankton. These single-celled organisms live at the top of the water column, where UV light is able to reach. They also reproduce quickly, so DNA damage would accumulate over several generations.
If phytoplankton began dying off, the effects would ripple throughout the ocean, since these photosynthetic microbes are the base of the marine food chain. They also produce at least half of the world's oxygen.
The team has selected a couple representative species of phytoplankton to irradiate at different levels, and see how their productivity levels change. The results of the study should give astrobiologists a better sense of how likely it is that our planet or another planet in our galaxy was zapped by a stellar eruption.
Possible signs of such astrophysical foul play are seen in the Ordovician extinction, which occurred 450 million years ago and resulted in the loss of 60 percent of marine invertebrates. The fossil record shows that organisms near the top of the water column and at mid-latitudes were hardest hit, as one would expect from a sudden loss of ozone."
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We'll always be together cuz we're both under the moon | |
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06-22-2009, 07:27 PM
|
#37 (permalink)
| Formerly: Herminny Grindylow
Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Florida
Posts: 14,252
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Lucas Devolian
Fifth Year
x4 x1
|  Funny Beauty
Quote:
Originally Posted by unicornkeeper07 Aislynn couldn't help but laugh at all the people scribbling away. All she had to do was listen. But, she knew all this information. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy as she started to drift away. Herminny noticed one of her classmates falling asleep who happened to be close to her and upon seeing the Gryffindor crest on her robes she shook then a little, she was'nt gonna let them lose her house points. Too late, great, she thought as she continued to copy down more notes from what seemed like a never ending lecture.
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06-22-2009, 07:34 PM
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#38 (permalink)
|
Lupin's ♥ for TonksNogtail
Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mooning Over Lupin
Posts: 4,793
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Roman J. Lupin
First Year | GLEEk Magic Picture Finder
"Ugh," she said. This was ridiculous, she thought. She wasn't that upset that Griffindor lost points, but clearly her fellow classmates did. They looked at her with such disappointment. Why should she care? None of them ever spoke to her anyways. The only real effect these "exploding stars" had was that the rays that the released electrons significantly promote the formation of building blocks for cloud condensation nuclei on which water vapour condenses to make clouds.
__________________ This is how I roll, animal print pants out control.
This is how I roll, come on ladies it's time to go! | |
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06-22-2009, 07:36 PM
|
#39 (permalink)
| | Cockatrice
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 28,938
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Professor McFarlane
Graduated | IndyEddie
Astronomer Narciso Benítez of Johns Hopkins University and his colleagues claim that radiation from a nearby supernova 2 million years ago may have stripped away much of Earth's protective ozone layer, killing off many species of marine life. Back in 1999, a group of German scientists uncovered high concentrations of the isotope iron-60 in geological samples drilled from beneath the seafloor. The German team suspected that the iron had been sprayed over the Earth by an exploding star roughly, but knew of no supernova that erupted at the time the iron was deposited. Now Benítez's team have identified a culprit. Calculating the paths of stars as they move through our galaxy, they determined that a clump of unstable stars known as the Scorpius-Centaurus OB Association passed close by our solar system at about that time. Benítez's wife, microbiologist Matilde Cañelles, found signs of a mini-extinction of mollusks, plankton and other marine organisms 2 million years ago, at the boundary of the Pliocene and the Pleistocene periods. In the meantime, the Scorpius-Centaurus cluster has drifted along to its present position, where it no longer threatens Earth.
Geologist Luann Becker responds that Benitez's claim is plausible but not proven. The iron-60, she says, could have come from other sources.
__________________
We'll always be together cuz we're both under the moon | |
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06-22-2009, 07:47 PM
|
#40 (permalink)
| | Welsh Green
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,627
| Encyclopaedia Galactica
"Is there any evidence that the iron-60 could have come from Scorpius-Centaurus?" Kiri asked, looking up from her notes. "And what of the 'other sources' that geologist, er... Becker talked about?"
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06-22-2009, 07:49 PM
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#41 (permalink)
|
Lupin's ♥ for TonksNogtail
Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mooning Over Lupin
Posts: 4,793
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Roman J. Lupin
First Year | GLEEk Magic Picture Finder
Why should we care, Aislynn thought. It's part of the galaxy there's nothing we can do about it. Aislynn was pretty familiar with cosmic rays. She knew they were a main cause of mutations, the changes in the genetic code in living things that lead to the evolution of the species. By the law of averages, over the five-billion-year history of our solar system, a number of supernovae must have gone off in our Galaxy close enough to our location to flood the Earth with a larger than usual number of cosmic rays and high-energy radiation. The flow of these high-energy particles may well have accelerated the rate of change in living things and helped speed up our advent among the creatures that inhabit our planet. But, again that didn't really affect her. She was a witch, she could handle anything that came her way, including foreign things from other galaxies.
__________________ This is how I roll, animal print pants out control.
This is how I roll, come on ladies it's time to go! | |
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06-22-2009, 08:27 PM
|
#42 (permalink)
| | Cockatrice
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 28,938
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Professor McFarlane
Graduated | IndyEddie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Antarctica! "Is there any evidence that the iron-60 could have come from Scorpius-Centaurus?" Kiri asked, looking up from her notes. "And what of the 'other sources' that geologist, er... Becker talked about?" "It's happened before, so why not again? The cosmos is a dangerous place, boys and girls. It was from the cosmos that killed off the dinosaurs, so why not us? In fact a distant supernova that exploded 41,000 years ago may have led to the extinction of the mammoth, debris from a supernova explosion coalesced into low-density, comet-like objects that wreaked havoc on the solar system long ago. One such comet may have hit North America 13,000 years ago, unleashing a cataclysmic event that killed off the vast majority of mammoths and many other large North American mammals. They found evidence of this impact layer at several archaeological sites throughout North America where Clovis hunting artifacts and human-butchered mammoths have been unearthed. It has long been established that human activity ceased at these sites about 13,000 years ago, which is roughly the same time that mammoths disappeared. We are not immune. There were witches and wizards there, and they all died as well. Magic does not make us immune, boys and girls. Keep that in mind.
"Your homework:
Quote:
Originally Posted by homework 10 ways to destroy the earth:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
10 greatest explosions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What do you think will be the way the earth will be destroyed?
PM all homework to me no later than 6pm (CST, GMT - 6) Friday, June 26th. Be sure to follow all rules. Linking to your profile will no longer be accepted. Include name, house, and user ID.
__________________
We'll always be together cuz we're both under the moon | |
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06-22-2009, 08:33 PM
|
#43 (permalink)
| | Swedish Short-Snout
Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Wangdoodleland.
Posts: 31,294
| Russian Dancing Snake-Twin | Jam Pony Rider | Has Snuffed It!
Jude copied down the homework at the end of his notes and raised his hand, "Professah, are we ovah alreadeh today?" he asked, hoping this class would have been longer and more interactive, or maybe involved that interesting exploding star model on his table.
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06-22-2009, 08:37 PM
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#44 (permalink)
| | Welsh Green
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,627
| Encyclopaedia Galactica
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mistress Vondella "It's happened before, so why not again? The cosmos is a dangerous place, boys and girls. It was from the cosmos that killed off the dinosaurs, so why not us? In fact a distant supernova that exploded 41,000 years ago may have led to the extinction of the mammoth, debris from a supernova explosion coalesced into low-density, comet-like objects that wreaked havoc on the solar system long ago. One such comet may have hit North America 13,000 years ago, unleashing a cataclysmic event that killed off the vast majority of mammoths and many other large North American mammals. They found evidence of this impact layer at several archaeological sites throughout North America where Clovis hunting artifacts and human-butchered mammoths have been unearthed. It has long been established that human activity ceased at these sites about 13,000 years ago, which is roughly the same time that mammoths disappeared. We are not immune. There were witches and wizards there, and they all died as well. Magic does not make us immune, boys and girls. Keep that in mind. Well, that she knew - but it was always good to keep it in mind. Nodding, she added a few final notes, then copied down the homework. On her way out, she began making a list in her mind... Gamma ray bursts, comet impacts... And she'd have to get herself one of those supernova representations!
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06-22-2009, 08:40 PM
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#45 (permalink)
| | Mooncalf
Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Deep in the <3 of TX
Posts: 6,463
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Everleigh Tris Annesley
Fifth Year x9
| *RabidRavenclaw*Nymphadora!*BritneySpearsFanatic* *Eclectic*ZetaTauAlphaPrincess*TexasAngel*
Satine finally let her quill lay down...wow...that was a lot of information...and the homework seemed fun...she packed up her stuff and headed to the front before leaving...
"Professor, thank you for the lesson and once again I'm sorry I was late...I promise to make up for it." she said with a smile and then turned on the spot and headed out to catch up with her friends. She was really excited about the homework and planned to do it tonite.
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06-22-2009, 08:45 PM
|
#46 (permalink)
| | Cockatrice
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 28,938
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Professor McFarlane
Graduated | IndyEddie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigwidgeon Took Jude copied down the homework at the end of his notes and raised his hand, "Professah, are we ovah alreadeh today?" he asked, hoping this class would have been longer and more interactive, or maybe involved that interesting exploding star model on his table. "Yes, we are. Time goes by fast, doesn't it?" Quote:
Originally Posted by Lezleighd Satine finally let her quill lay down...wow...that was a lot of information...and the homework seemed fun...she packed up her stuff and headed to the front before leaving...
"Professor, thank you for the lesson and once again I'm sorry I was late...I promise to make up for it." she said with a smile and then turned on the spot and headed out to catch up with her friends. She was really excited about the homework and planned to do it tonite. Forrester nodded, "I'm sure you will. I was very surprised to find you coming in late, Satine. Don't do it again."
__________________
We'll always be together cuz we're both under the moon | |
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06-22-2009, 08:54 PM
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#47 (permalink)
|   DoMPuffskein
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Twilight Zone
Posts: 1,391
|
A toy supernova? Hadn't seen one since he figured out how to make it turn into a black hole, and it ate half his bedroom.
Everything else confused the boy. Helios knew nothing of muggle science. He only knew to respect and worship the sun. Science, to him, only complicated things. Only if the muggles could see the wonders of magic...
__________________
In over his head | |
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06-22-2009, 08:54 PM
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#48 (permalink)
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Lupin's ♥ for TonksNogtail
Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mooning Over Lupin
Posts: 4,793
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Roman J. Lupin
First Year | GLEEk Magic Picture Finder
Aislynn didn't even need to do it as homework. She knew the answers right away. She wrote them in and went up to Professor Forrester and turned in the assignment.
__________________ This is how I roll, animal print pants out control.
This is how I roll, come on ladies it's time to go! | |
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06-22-2009, 09:06 PM
|
#49 (permalink)
| | Fire Slug
Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: I'm here, aren't I?
Posts: 163
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Lawliet
Fourth Year | Bouncy
Lawliet simply stared at the professor, somewhat overwhelmed by all the information that was thrown out there at once. He noticed that half of the students in the classroom didn't even have time to write some of the things he had said.
Without saying anything, he copied the homework down, put his things away and left the classroom while still racking his brains for whatever he was taught in today's class - not that he'd remember much of it in the long run, anyway.
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The opposite of love isn't hate, it's ignorance.
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