© University of Colorado BoulderThe Vela supernova remnant, the remains of a supernova explosion 800 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation Vela, as seen from the Dark Energy Camera on the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.
When a star explodes, it sends high-energy particles out in all directions. This burst of energy can travel through space
© University of Colorado BoulderRobert Brakenridge.
for thousands of light-years, traversing solar systems and even galaxies.
In a recent paper, published in the
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, INSTAAR senior research associate Robert Brakenridge argues that
supernovae may be the key to understanding a series of abrupt climate shifts in recent geologic history. The analysis models how such radiation could collide with Earth's atmosphere, changing its composition. Brakenridge also matches a number of known supernovae to climate shifts preserved in geologic records.
"We have abrupt environmental changes in Earth's history. That's solid, we see these changes," Brakenridge said. "So, what caused them?"
Brakenridge says that, if nearby supernovae caused such changes, further research could help scientists predict similar events in the future and prepare accordingly.
"When nearby supernovae occur in the future, the radiation could have a pretty dramatic effect on human society," he said. "We have to find out if indeed they caused environmental changes in the past."
Brakenridge's recent paper is actually one of many he and others have published on the topic since the 1980s. But, in the past, the idea has rested mainly in the realm of theoretical physics. Brakenridge's new publication is an effort to link the theory to empirical observations, both in space and here on Earth.
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