From: Amara Graps (Amara.Graps@mpi-hd.mpg.de)
Date: Thu May 09 2002 - 07:25:10 MDT
This link might provide useful numbers for some parts of this
discussion.
http://a188-l009.rit.edu/richmond/answers/snrisks.txt
Header intro :
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Will a Nearby Supernova Endanger Life on Earth?
Michael Richmond
[last revised July 16, 1999]
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Since this topic seems to come up every year or so, I decided to
try to work out some of the dangers quantitatively. Let me list the
various sources of danger I've considered.
1. optical and near-optical light
2. X-rays from the explosion itself
3. X-rays from the supernova remnant
4. gamma rays*
5. neutrinos
6. energetic particles*
I haven't been able to find much information on those items marked with "*",
but I'll tell you what I know. My current best guess is that items 2
and/or 4, energetic photons, are the most dangerous to those nearby.
I've tried to estimate the amount of X-ray or gamma-ray radiation
which poses a threat to unshielded humans in
Appendix A. What dose of high-energy radiation is lethal?
I use several units of distance in this text which may be unfamiliar
to some readers. They may find a very terse explanation in
Appendix B. Units of distance
I've listed references to other sources of information on the effects
of supernovae on the biosphere near the end of the text.
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Amara Graps, PhD | Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik
Heidelberg Cosmic Dust Group | Saupfercheckweg 1
+49-6221-516-543 | 69117 Heidelberg, GERMANY
Amara.Graps@mpi-hd.mpg.de * http://www.mpi-hd.mpg.de/dustgroup/~graps
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"Never fight an inanimate object." - P. J. O'Rourke
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