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A Mystery Burst of Radiation Hit Earth Just Over 1,200 Years Ago
Researchers studying fossilised trees that were growing in the Northern Hemisphere around 775AD have found evidence of an intense burst of radiation but are unsure about its cause.
Published in Nature, Fusa Miyake, a cosmic-ray physicist from Nagoya University in Japan, was looking at the radioactive isotope carbon-14 in tree rings formed at this time.
He found levels jumped by 1.2% over just one year, around 20 times faster than the normal rate.
The isotope carbon-14 is formed when highly energetic radiation from space hits atoms in the upper atmosphere. This produces neutrons that then collide with nitrogen-14, which decays into the carbon isotope.
At present, the only event that can produce a spike in carbon-14 are supernova explosions or proton storms from giant solar flares.
Image credit: NASA – Solar flare one possible cause of radiation burst.
IBT
Read more here:http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tree-rings-reveal-mystery-radiation-burst-hit-earth-1200-years-ago-1430928
