SkyGazer Sunday, October 12 meeting

SkyGazer Sunday, October 12 meeting

7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Desert View Theater, 39900 S Clubhouse Dr.

Detecting Miyake events (high cosmic rays) from Tree Rings (tentative title), Dr. Irina Panyushkina , Research Associate Professor of Dendrochronology

Besides doing research in climate variability and Bronze Age - Medieval chronology of societal prehistory and environmental archaeology in the Eurasian Steppe, Dr. Panyushkina is also involved in collaborative research on variations of carbon-14 production rate and the identification of Miyake events and rapid carbon-14 excursions.

A Miyake event is an observed sharp enhancement of the production of cosmogenic isotopes by cosmic rays. It can be marked by a spike in the concentration of radioactive carbon isotope 14. There is strong evidence that Miyake events are caused by extreme solar particle events and they are likely related to super-flares discovered on solar-like stars. The largest known Miyake event was reported between 12,350 and 12,349 BCE. It was identified by a study conducted by an international team of researchers who measured radiocarbon levels in ancient trees.

Panyushkina was Principal Investigator or the joint lead for a dozen research projects funded by NSF and NASA advancing climate change studies and multidisciplinary approach.