Disturbing SunRichardson, Robert S. (Robert Shirley)
Science
Disturbing Sun
Richardson, Robert S. (Robert Shirley)
Science fiction; Short stories; Sun -- Research -- Fiction
NIEMAND. Middletown says that the radio waves emanating from them are
strongly circularly polarized. Moreover, the sense of rotation remains
constant while one is passing across the Sun. If the magnetic field
associated with an S-Region extends into the high solar corona through
which the rays pass, then the sense of rotation corresponds to the
ordinary ray of the magneto-ionic theory.
LATHAM. Does this mean that the mental disturbances arise from some form
of electromagnetic radiation?
NIEMAND. We doubt it. As I said before, the charts show a lag of about
forty-eight hours between the development of an S-Region and the onset
of mental disturbance. This indicates that the malignant energy
emanating from an S-Region consists of some highly penetrating form of
corpuscular radiation, as yet unidentified.[A]
[Footnote A: Middletown believes that the Intense radiation recently
discovered from information derived from Explorer I and III has no
connection with the corpuscular S-radiation.]
LATHAM. A question that puzzles me is why some people are affected by
the S-Regions while others are not.
NIEMAND. Our latest results indicate that probably _no one_ is
completely immune. All are affected in _some_ degree. Just why some
should be affected so much more than others is still a matter of
speculation.
LATHAM. How long does an S-Region last?
NIEMAND. An S-Region may have a lifetime of from three to perhaps a
dozen solar rotations. Then it dies out and for a time we are free from
this malignant radiation. Then a new region develops in perhaps an
entirely different region of the Sun. Sometimes there may be several
different S-Regions all going at once.
LATHAM. Why were not the S-Regions discovered long ago?
NIEMAND. Because the radio exploration of the Sun only began since the
end of World War II.
LATHAM. How does it happen that you only got patients suffering from
S-radiation since about 1955?
NIEMAND. I think we did get such patients previously but not in large
enough numbers to attract attention. Also the present sunspot cycle
started its rise to maximum about 1954.
LATHAM. Is there no way of escaping the S-radiation?
NIEMAND. I'm afraid the only sure way is to keep on the unilluminated
side of the Earth which is rather difficult to do. Apparently the
corpuscular beam from an S-Region is several degrees wide and not very
sharply defined, since its effects are felt simultaneously over the
entire continent. Hillyard and Middletown are working on some form of
shielding device but so far without success.
LATHAM. What is the present state of S-Region activity?
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