Did quark matter strike Earth?

In summary: There was an unknown object off the coast of Antarctica that left the Earth south of India 0.73s later, and then 24 Nov 1993 a strange quark matter object was recorded leaving the Earth near Antarctica 0.15s later. Scientists haven't found any more events like this, so it's likely just a fluke.
  • #1
g33kski11z
54
0
Article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2502755.stm I wasn't real sure where to post this (mods move if necessary)

The first event was recorded at seven monitoring stations in India, Australia, Bolivia and Turkey, and the second event was recorded at nine monitoring stations in Australia and Bolivia.

First event occurred on 22 October 1993, when, according to the researchers, something entered the Earth off Antarctica and left it south of India 0.73 of a second later.

The second occurred on 24 November 1993, when an object entered south of Australia and exited the Earth near Antarctica 0.15 of a second later.

Has anything come of this? Is it even relevant/accurate? The BBC doesn't seem to have a follow-up story or anything.
 
Earth sciences news on Phys.org
  • #2
Nothing..??
 
  • #3
g33kski11z said:
Nothing..??
According to the article you posted, they stopped researching it back in 1993.

Unfortunately, scientists may not be able to find any more events that suggest the passage of strange quark matter through the Earth.

In 1993 the US Geological Survey stopped collecting data from "unassociated events."
 
  • #5
g33kski11z said:
I understand that. I was just curious if anything was ever made of it, any follow up or anything like that..

so, would this be an anomaly? https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=58374 .. or more of a fluke?

Well they stopped researching it, so no, I'd say nothing came of it.

Anomaly? No. Fluke? No. The fact they took it no further seems to indicate there was nothing exciting enough about it to warrant further investigation.
 
  • #6
what is quark matter?
 
  • #8
"We can't prove that this was strange quark matter, but that is the only explanation that has been offered so far," Herrin says.

Ah 'twould that good science were so easy...
 
  • #9
A little digging reveals an alternative explanation...

Anderson et al. (2003) interpret a set of unassociated seismic arrivals observed on 24 November 1993 as a line source, which they claim is consistent with the passage of a "strange quark nugget" through the Earth. In fact, these arrivals can be convincingly interpreted as an earthquake source on the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.

http://www.bssaonline.org/cgi/content/extract/94/6/2414
 
  • #10
What would quark matter do if it struck the Earth? And am I right in saying that a stable "nugget" would have to be incredibly dense (on the order of mountain sized masses per cubic centimetre?
 
  • #11
ryan_m_b said:
What would quark matter do if it struck the Earth? And am I right in saying that a stable "nugget" would have to be incredibly dense (on the order of mountain sized masses per cubic centimetre?

Yes, I wish the 'reporting stations' had been more detailed in their description of the 'event'. Just to say it happened leaves one a tad mystified. Did it take out someone's garbage shed? Activate some kind of monitor? Was it obvious without equipment?
 

1. What is quark matter and how does it relate to Earth?

Quark matter is a theoretical form of matter that is composed of fundamental particles called quarks. It is believed to exist under extreme conditions, such as in the core of neutron stars. There is no evidence to suggest that quark matter has ever struck Earth.

2. Could quark matter striking Earth have catastrophic effects?

Theoretically, if quark matter were to strike Earth, it would have catastrophic effects due to its extreme density and energy. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this has ever happened or is likely to happen.

3. How do scientists study quark matter?

Scientists study quark matter through theoretical models and experiments with high-energy particle accelerators. They also look for indirect evidence of its existence, such as observing neutron stars and other astronomical objects.

4. Is there any evidence to suggest that quark matter has struck other planets or celestial bodies?

Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that quark matter has struck any other planets or celestial bodies. However, scientists continue to study and explore the universe for possible evidence of quark matter.

5. Could quark matter striking Earth have any positive effects?

The effects of quark matter striking Earth would most likely be catastrophic. However, studying and understanding quark matter could potentially lead to advancements in our understanding of the universe and technology, such as nuclear fusion.

Similar threads

Writing: Input Wanted Great Lakes Earth Map
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
2
Views
2K
Writing: Read Only Great Lakes Earth
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • Earth Sciences
Replies
16
Views
4K
Replies
13
Views
2K
Replies
109
Views
53K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
Replies
11
Views
25K
  • General Discussion
2
Replies
65
Views
8K
Back
Top