Galactic Center activity occurs frequently between major superwave events. Astronomical observation indicates that during the last 6,000 years, the Galactic center has expelled 14 clouds of ionized gas.(19) See Figure 4 for dates. These outbursts may have produced minor superwave emissions with EMP effects comparable to those of major superwaves. About 80% of these bursts took place within 500 hundred years of one another (Figure 5). With the most recent outburst occurring 700 years ago, there is a high probability of another one occurring in the near future.
Figure 4. History of minor Galactic Center explosion activity during the past 6000 years; approximate dates when radiation pulses arrived from the Galactic Center. (These age estimates taken from Lacy et al. have been decreased by 70% to be consistent with the value of 7 kiloparsecs for the estimated distance to the center of the Galaxy.)
Figure 5. Amount of time between successive gas expulsions from the Galactic center, plotted as a frequency histogram.
The four-second extragalactic gamma ray burst that arrived in 1983, did have a measurable effect on radio transmissions used for global navigation and communication.(20) By comparison, the "minor" superwave events discussed above might have total energies hundreds of millions of times greater than this.
At present little research is being done on this important astronomical phenomenon. Nor are we prepared should a Galactic superwave suddenly arrive. International channels of communication are not in place to deal with the disasters that a superwave could bring upon us.
Currently, radio astronomers are monitoring the cosmic ray/synchrotron radiation activity of the Galactic core on a daily basis. They report their findings regularly in IAU (International Astronomical Union) circulars. However, an early warning system needs to be set up so that, in the event that signs of a significant core outburst and superwave activity are detected, the proper organizations around the world are notified and the proper precautions are taken. In this way, the impact of such an event could be drastically reduced.
There needs to be an increased awareness of the phenomenon and its potential threat to the Earth so that ways might be found of minimizing the effects of a superwave should one arrive. More scientific papers need to be presented on research on this subject and media coverage of the subject is needed. Astronomical and geological research needs to be conducted to learn more about this phenomenon. For example, a more detailed analysis needs to be made of the high concentrations of beryllium-10 and cosmic dust present in the ice age portion of the Earth's polar ice record, remnants of the last major superwave event.In regard to the superwave EMP problem, there is a need to develop an awareness about this phenomenon so that if it does occur, it does not inadvertently trigger a nuclear missile launching. Also there is a need to develop emergency plans to implement measures that will minimize its impact on power and communications networks. Recently, the U.S. National Research Council made a step in the right direction by publishing a report entitled Severe Space Weather Events: Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts; see March 2009 New Scientist article for a summary. While this report describes hazards due to the occurrence of a large magnitude solar storm, similar to the 1859 Carrington event, many of the described effects are the same as those that would occur from the arrival of a superwave, even one of low magnitude. The Starburst Foundation had warned the National Research Council and other government agencies about such hazards in their1989 public outreach project on superwaves.
Currently, the Starburst Foundation is one of the few organizations researching this important astronomical phenomenon. The Starburst Foundation is a scientific research institute dedicated to discovering how Galactic superwaves have affected our planet in the past, to implementing an international early-warning system for future events, and to investigating ways of lessening the adverse effects of superwaves on our planet.The Starburst Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit U.S. corporation that is supported by charitable contributions. Those interested in sending donations may make out a check to the Starburst Foundation and send it to:
The Starburst Foundation
1176 Hedgewood Lane
Niskayuna, NY 12309
email: plaviolette@starburstfound.org
In 1989 the Starburst Foundation conducted an outreach project to inform governments around the world as well as certain nongovernmental organizations about the impending superwave threat. The pamphlet sent out contained information similar to that described in the 2000 Nexus magazine article. A few of the letter responses received from that effort are posted below.
Letters responding to the information Starburst had sent out:
Letter to Starburst received from U.S. Senater Edward Kennedy, Senator from Massachusetts.
Letter to Starburst received from Wilbert Chagula Tanzanian Ambassador to the United Nations.
Letters of support for research on Galactic superwaves
Letter sent by Erwin Laszlo, Director of UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research).
Further information
Galactic Center's Current Effects on the Sun and Earth
1) LaViolette, P. A. Earth Under Fire. Rochester, NY: Bear & Co., 2005, 1997.
2) LaViolette, P. A. Galactic Explosions, Cosmic Dust Invasions, and Climatic Change. Ph.D. dissertation, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, August 1983.
3) LaViolette, P. A. "The terminal Pleistocene cosmic event: Evidence for recent incursion of nebular material into the Solar System." Eos 64 (1983): 286. American Geophysical Union paper, Baltimore, Maryland.
4) LaViolette, P. A. "Elevated concentrations of cosmic dust in Wisconsin stage polar ice." Meteoritics 18 (1983): 336. Meteoritical Society paper, Mainz, Germany.
5) LaViolette, P. A. "Evidence of high cosmic dust concentrations in Late Pleistocene polar ice (20,000 - 14,000 Years BP)." Meteoritics 20 (1985): 545.
6) LaViolette, P. A. "Cosmic ray volleys from the Galactic Center and their recent impact on the Earth environment." Earth, Moon, and Planets 37 (1987): 241.
7) LaViolette, P. A. "Galactic core explosions and the evolution of life." Anthropos 12, (1990): 239 255.
8) LaViolette, P. A. "Anticipation of the Ulysses interstellar dust findings." Eos 74(44) (1993): 510 511.
9) Oort, J. H. "The Galactic Center." Annual Reviews of Astronomy & Astrophysics 15 (1977): 295.
10) Burbridge, G. R. et al. "Evidence for the occurrence of violent events in the nuclei of galaxies." Reviews of Modern Physics 35 (1963): 947.
11) Burbidge, G. R. et al. "Physics of compact nonthermal sources III. Energetic considerations." Astrophysical Journal 193 (1974): 43.
12) Ginzburg, V. L., and Syrovatskii, S. I. The Origin of Cosmic Rays. New York: Pergamon Press, 1964, p. 207.
13) Marshak, et al. "Evidence for muon production by particles from Cygnus X-3," Physical Review Letters 54 (1985): 2079.
14) Dingus, B. L. et al. "High-energy pulsed emission from Hercules X-1 with anomalous air-shower muon production." Physical Review Letters 61 (1988): 1906.
15) Schwarzschild, B. "Are the ultra-energetic cosmic gammas really photons? Physics Today (ll) (1988): 17.
16) Brown, R. L., and Johnston, K. J. "The gas density and distribution within 2 parsecs of the Galactic Center," Astrophysical Journal 268 (1983): L85.
17) Lo, K. Y., and Claussen, M. J. "High-resolution observations of ionized gas in central 3 paresecs of the Galaxy: possible evidence for infall." Nature 306 (1983): 647.
18) Raisbeck, G. M., et al. "Evidence for two intervals of enhanced 10Be deposition in Antarctic ice during the Last Glacial Period." Nature 326 (1987): 273.
19) Lacy, J. H., Townes, C. H., Geballe, T. R., and Hollenbach, D. J. "Observations of the motion and distribution of the ionized gas in the central parsec of the Galaxy. II," Astrophysical Journal 241 (1980): 132.
20) Fishman, G. J. and Inan, U. S. "Observation of an ionospheric disturbance caused by a gamma-ray burst." Nature 331 (1988):418.
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