Essay Example on Mystery of Gamma-Ray Bursts: Unravelling Causes of Mysterious Space Radiations

First discovered in 1967 accidentally by an observatory set to monitor the activities in space and possible threats to the United States, Gamma-ray Bursts remained a mystery for the better part of the 20th century. High gamma radiations were observed from the observatories, which lead to the study of their origin and cause. These rays were unique in that they last only for a fraction of a second and seem to originate from deep space. This article will expound on the causes of Gamma-Ray Bursts and their possible effect on life here on Earth.

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Gamma Rays are the highest form of light emissions with very high radiations; they are commonly generated by exploding stars, massive solar flares and other forms which consume immense amounts of energy. However, the generation of this kind of rays in the Gamma-Ray Bursts was unique because its emissions were observed in a very short bracket of time lasting no longer than a few seconds.

Various studies have shown that these Rays occur in the outer space, which ranges from a few billion light-years away. This discovery makes the nature of the Rays very daunting because the amount of energy required to produce such an amount of power that it can be observed here on Earth is enormous. After further research it was discovered that there are various ways in which these Gamma Rays are produced; however, the basic principle is that; after their production, the rays are channeled into a solid beam of rays which are directed in one direction. Thus, the sensors on Earth can trap the Waves and detect them (Toma, Yoon, & Bromm, 2016).

The chances that such Rays are headed towards the Earth are small, considering the size of the universe and the need for the beam to move in a straight line. Nevertheless, due to the advancement in observation technology, several such Bursts are observed every month with an approximate of about one every day. From the concentration of light in a single beam at such amounts, the gamma-Ray Bursts are dangerous to the existence of any planet or terrestrial body they come across.

Many attempts have been put in place to try and explain the generation of Gamma-ray Bursts. However, it is now generally believed that the rays are formed as a result of the collapsing of a star in a supernova. When the interior of an extremely massive star breaks down forming a black hole, the materials just at the crust of the star are suspended and the swell to for a large disk. These materials create a strong magnetic field due to the rapid rotation of the disk and hence send out the sharp beam from either side of the black hole. Beams send-off in this scenario are focused and move in speeds close to that of light (Kumar & Zhang, 2015).

These rays are so huge that observatories on Earth can detect them. In fact, in 2008, such an explosion was observed from the sky. This blast was enormously bright that if one were looking at the direction of the sky at that time, they could have seen it with their naked eyes. Typically, the bursts could be grouped into two categories. This can be done based on the time they take while bright. It has been observed that the rays are generally in two types, those that last for a little more than a second and some which a very short-lasting for a few milliseconds. From their time, it is possible to explain how they are caused. The Rays which last for more than a minute are those generated by supernovas or better still Hypernovae.

The second case is thought to generate from the collision of two neutron stars. As the stars move to rotate around each other, their separation decreases gradually. This aspect is due to Einstein's Law of Relativity. The bodies low orbital energy in the form of gravitational waves as they move closer to each other. As these stars move closer together, they collide to form an enormous amount of energy. This energy released to space is so bright that it will be observed as gamma Rays. In this second case, however, the light is shown in a fraction of a second.

From the immensity of these emissions and the amount of energy involved, one may be forced to ask: What are some of the risks of exposure to these rays? What are the chances that one of these Beams will hit our planet? What could be the result of direct exposure to the Gamma-Ray Bursts? Well, due to the distance of the occurrence of these emissions and the factors needed for Earth to be hit by a Gamma-Ray Burst, the chances are minimal. For the Earth to suffer any significant immediate damage, the Ray will need to be within a few million light-years from us. This alone is hard because there are no prospective stars that are large enough and heading towards their death (Piran, Jimenez, Cuesta, Simpson, & Verde, 2016).

Nonetheless, if gamma rays hit the Earth's atmosphere, they are more likely to cause long term damage rather than an immediate one. Gamma rays are known to break down Nitrogen and Oxygen molecules in the air, which will then combine to form various forms of nitrogen oxides. These molecules then form a threat because Nitrogen Oxide (NO) catalyzes the breakdown of the ozone layer. The absence of the ozone layer will result in global warming, which will then cause the death of various living organisms.

From a previous study, a similar occurrence is most likely to have occurred during the beginning of the Ice Age. During the Ordovician-Silurian Extinction, the organisms die due to a rapid change in the climatic conditions which broke the food chain. It is believed that this was due to exposure to rays which disintegrated the O-Zone layer leaving the organisms bare. A similar occurrence will have devastating effects as the Earth will gradually lose a life and be left to another mass extinction.

Exposure to Extreme radiations will also lead to a general effect in the lives of the most sensitive organisms. Given their nature and vulnerability, organisms such as the Phytoplankton will suffer extinction. Having in mind that these micro-organisms form the basis of the food chain is shocking. By breaking the food chain, the animals from higher the class will ultimately die of starvation. As the production of food decreases, these organisms will be left with no choice but to die. Research has shown that the aftermath of such an occurrence could be an enormous catastrophe.

In any case, the increase in the amount of UV light has been associated with the extinction of some species. Research has shown that there is a close relationship between the time the species became extinct and the change in the climatic conditions the time. Change in the climatic conditions will lead to some of the primary organisms disappearing because of the harsh environments at the time, and this leads to the succession of mass loss of life. Continuous exposure to the sun rays and lose in the o-zone blanket will lead to a drop in temperature due to loss of heat from the Earth's surface. These will then worsen the situations as the organisms that we can sustain the immense heat will be subjected to a drastic drop in temperatures and freezing of several water bodies (Li, & Zhang, 2015).

An encounter with other terrestrial powers such as black holes would spell doom to the destination of the Gamma-Ray Blast. Having an enormous amount of energy means one cannot be stopped or diverted. Adding to its size the sheer power of the speeds at which it is travelling makes the radiations very dangerous. If an encounter with a black hole is made, the size of the black hole will affect how the beam will behave (Goldstein et al., 2017).

If by chance the beams from a Gamma-Ray Blast passes near a planet or is blocked by the planet, the body will experience a large deformation which will leave it in ashes as the beam continues with its journey. This fact means that it is very little and probably nothing the inhabitants of planet Earth could do at the face of such danger with our current technology. The power from a Gamma-Ray Blast will obliterate all existence from the planet.

When two beams of Gamma Rays meet chances are the magnitude of each beam will determine which direction the resultant beam will head. However, if the obstacle is more massive than the path of the beam may be disrupted. In conclusion, much is still to be learnt about the behaviour and management of Gamma-Rays Bursts. These improvements will enable future scientists to understand the dynamics affecting the transfer of the rays through such astronomical distances. As technology advances, we are likely to develop ways that will enable the prediction of possible Gamma-Rays Blasts approaching the Earth and their possible effects on the life system.

References

Goldstein, A., Veres, P., Burns, E., Briggs, M. S., Hamburg, R., Kocevski, D., ... & Hui, C. M. (2017). An ordinary short gamma-ray burst with extraordinary implications: Fermi-GBM detection of GRB 170817A. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 848(2), L14.

Kumar, P., & Zhang, B. (2015). The physics of gamma-ray bursts & relativistic jets. Physics Reports, 561, 1-109.

Li, Y., & Zhang, B. (2015). Can life survive Gamma-Ray Bursts in the high-redshift universe?. The Astrophysical Journal, 810(1), 41.

Piran, T., Jimenez, R., Cuesta, A. J., Simpson, F., & Verde, L. (2016). Cosmic explosions, life in the universe, and the cosmological constant. Physical review letters, 116(8), 081301.

Toma, K., Yoon, S. C., & Bromm, V. (2016). Gamma-ray bursts and Population III stars. Space Science Reviews, 202(1-4), 159-180.