Ancient Nuclear Reactors

Palomar · 2005-02-22 08:07:52

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050220.html]Africa

*Caught my attention.

--Cindy

Cobra Commander · 2005-02-22 09:42:01

If nature builds a nuclear reactor do anti-nuke enviromentalists protest it? ???

clark · 2005-02-22 09:48:19

Only if you clean it up.

Palomar · 2005-02-22 09:57:32

If nature builds a nuclear reactor do anti-nuke enviromentalists protest it? ???

*Hi Cobra: Similar thought came to my mind as well.

This portion of the caption is odd, IMO:

These reactors are thought to have occurred naturally.

Well how else? Humans weren't around 2 billion years ago.

Would be interesting to get more info on how these natural NR's behaved, etc. ::shrugs:: I don't recall having heard of this news item (now decades old) before.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-02-22 13:21:49

No natural reactors exist today, as the relative density of fissile uranium has now decayed below that needed for a sustainable reaction.

So if the internal core of earth is moving the mantle about then it is possible deep down to generate new ones.
Also where did earth get all of this uranium material?

Ian Flint · 2005-02-22 15:46:41

I always understood that since uranium is heavy then it would accumulate with other heavy elements in rocky planets. Do we know how much uranium the other inner planets have, by the way?

PurduesUSAFguy · 2005-02-22 19:26:23

I always understood that since uranium is heavy then it would accumulate with other heavy elements in rocky planets. Do we know how much uranium the other inner planets have, by the way?

Specifically Mars, if we could fine Uranium in extracatable quantities that would be a huge help to the long term viability of settlements, as well as a possible export as building new uranium enrichment facilities and breeder reactors is politically impossible here.

Shaun Barrett · 2005-02-22 21:36:30

I don't think we really know, Ian, just how much uranium exists in the crusts of the other rocky planets - except by extrapolating from known terrestrial concentrations. ???

By the by, according to a Dr. J. Marvin Herndon, the planets have accumulations of uranium in their cores. He maintains that these accumulations are some kilometres in diameter and actually undergo intermittent fission, producing energy.

There's a very interesting recent article at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c … 5.DTL]THIS SITE, which mentions attempts to conduct an experiment to prove or disprove Dr. Herndon's hypothesis.

I was sad to learn that Dr. Herndon has now abandoned scientific research because his work doesn't agree with the mainstream of geophysics and he feels he has been largely ostracized by the scientific community.

Iconoclastic scientists often have trouble getting their papers published in scientific literature. Herndon "is no exception," he acknowledges. "I live in a strange world where I go against a strong establishment that pretends I don't exist." NASA has turned down Herndon's applications for research funding, he says.

And this:-

He draws unhappy conclusions from his bumpy scientific career. Had his two sons -- now physicians -- planned to become scientists, he says, "I would have steered them away from it because you can't make a living and do legitimate science; you have to 'howl with the wolves' or you don't survive. This is a sad testament to our times. There's something very wrong in American science."

This strikes a chord with me because of a similar situation that I believe has affected the career of a Dr. Gilbert Levin, who designed the Labeled Release Experiment (LRE) for the Viking probes. He maintains to this day that his experiment discovered microbial activity in the Martian soil but the scientific community decried his results on the grounds that the Martian regolith has no organic material in it. This conclusion was based on the since discredited results of the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) readings, which were taken at the same time.

Although the results of the GCMS have never been officially refuted, as they should have been, NASA is now sending the Mars Science Laboratory to Mars in 2009 to find and analyze the very carbon compounds it says don't exist!

The scientific establishment is an interesting beast, don't you think? ???

Shaun Barrett · 2005-02-23 07:19:50

Cindy:-

Would be interesting to get more info on how these natural NR's behaved, etc. ::shrugs:: I don't recall having heard of this news item (now decades old) before.

I've seen one or two websites over the years which deal with these natural fission reactors. It's fascinating stuff.

I found http://www.curtin.edu.au/curtin/centre/ … .html]THIS SITE, which happens to be Australian ( :up: :;): ), and I think it's quite informative. Thought you might like to take a look at it.

Palomar · 2005-02-23 16:13:58

Cindy:-
Would be interesting to get more info on how these natural NR's behaved, etc. ::shrugs:: I don't recall having heard of this news item (now decades old) before.
I've seen one or two websites over the years which deal with these natural fission reactors. It's fascinating stuff.
I found http://www.curtin.edu.au/curtin/centre/ … .html]THIS SITE, which happens to be Australian ( :up: :;): ), and I think it's quite informative. Thought you might like to take a look at it.

*Okay, thank you Shaun. I'll check out the web site you provided. I've just now gotten back online since early this a.m. (7 hours ago) Will get back with you on it. :up:

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-02-23 22:53:20

Cindy:-
Would be interesting to get more info on how these natural NR's behaved, etc. ::shrugs:: I don't recall having heard of this news item (now decades old) before.
I've seen one or two websites over the years which deal with these natural fission reactors. It's fascinating stuff.
I found http://www.curtin.edu.au/curtin/centre/ … .html]THIS SITE, which happens to be Australian ( :up: :;): ), and I think it's quite informative. Thought you might like to take a look at it.

I think you intended that article for Robert Dyck.

Completely unfamiliar stuff, but I'll read it carefully and in its entirety (superscript numbers, eh?). Thanks.

--Cindy

John Creighton · 2005-02-23 23:13:54

I think there are several factors that should allow someone to estimate the quantity of uranium these include the distance to the sun, the size of the planet, whether the planet has a moon, and the temperature of the planets core.

Grypd · 2005-02-24 03:29:53

There is also like what occurred on the Moon due high heat natural deposits of Uranium rich minerals can be deposited when combined with significant impact events.

As an example the mineral KREEP is commen in the Mare Imbrium rim and other mares due to this having floated up during there creation. These are very important for us elements.

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#1 2005-02-22 08:07:52

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#2 2005-02-22 09:42:01

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#3 2005-02-22 09:48:19

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#4 2005-02-22 09:57:32

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#5 2005-02-22 13:21:49

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#6 2005-02-22 15:46:41

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#7 2005-02-22 19:26:23

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#8 2005-02-22 21:36:30

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#9 2005-02-23 07:19:50

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#10 2005-02-23 16:13:58

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#11 2005-02-23 22:53:20

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#12 2005-02-23 23:13:54

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

#13 2005-02-24 03:29:53

Re: Ancient Nuclear Reactors

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