I Found The Cause of Global Warming

[Ben]

If these guys would knock this stuff off, maybe we'd cool down some.

--------------------
http://www.livescience.com/technology/060308_sandia_z.html

Record Set for Hottest Temperature on Earth: 3.6 Billion Degrees in Lab
By Ker Than
LiveScience Staff Writer
posted: 08 March 2006
04:39 pm ET
   

Scientists have produced superheated gas exceeding temperatures of 2 billion degrees Kelvin, or 3.6 billion degrees Fahrenheit.

This is hotter than the interior of our Sun, which is about 15 million degrees Kelvin, and also hotter than any previous temperature ever achieved on Earth, they say.

They don't know how they did it.

The feat was accomplished in the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories.

"At first, we were disbelieving," said project leader Chris Deeney. "We repeated the experiment many times to make sure we had a true result."

Thermonuclear explosions are estimated to reach only tens to hundreds of millions of degrees Kelvin; other nuclear fusion experiments have achieved temperatures of about 500 million degrees Kelvin, said a spokesperson at the lab.

The achievement was detailed in the Feb. 24 issue of the journal Physical Review Letters.

The Z machine is the largest X-ray generator in the world. Its designed to test materials under extreme temperatures and pressures. It works by releasing 20 million amps of electricity into a vertical array of very fine tungsten wires. The wires dissolve into a cloud of charged particles, a superheated gas called plasma.

A very strong magnetic field compresses the plasma into the thickness of a pencil lead. This causes the plasma to release energy in the form of X-rays, but the X-rays are usually only several million degrees.

Sandia researchers still arent sure how the machine achieved the new record. Part of it is probably due to the replacement of the tungsten steel wires with slightly thicker steel wires, which allow the plasma ions to travel faster and thus achieve higher temperatures.

One thing that puzzles scientists is that the high temperature was achieved after the plasmas ions should have been losing energy and cooling. Also, when the high temperature was achieved, the Z machine was releasing more energy than was originally put in, something that usually occurs only in nuclear reactions.

Sandia consultant Malcolm Haines theorizes that some unknown energy source is involved, which is providing the machine with an extra jolt of energy just as the plasma ions are beginning to slow down.

Sandia National Laboratories is located by Albuquerque New Mexico and is part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

[El Tejon]

Haven't those guys heard?  We are running out of oil and are dooooooommmmmed, doomed I tells ya.

Just when I feel so good about myself by sitting around wringing my hands that we are all doomed, bright, resourceful, motivated people come along and invent stuff!  It's not fair!  I want to forecast doooommmmm.

[matis]

If these guys would knock this stuff off, maybe we'd cool down some.



One thing that puzzles scientists is that the high temperature was achieved after the plasmas ions should have been losing energy and cooling. Also, when the high temperature was achieved, the Z machine was releasing more energy than was originally put in, something that usually occurs only in nuclear reactions.

Sandia consultant Malcolm Haines theorizes that some unknown energy source is involved, which is providing the machine with an extra jolt of energy just as the plasma ions are beginning to slow down.

They're puzzled 'cause the machine was releasing more energy than was originally put in?

"... some unknown energy source..."?

"... an extra jolt of energy just as ..." the thing is supposed to slow down.?





I dunno.

If this thing gets away from them, maybe we are doomed.....?    :/




matis

[CatsDieNow]

The source of global warming is cows.  Everyone knows that.

[Ben]

"... an extra jolt of energy just as ..." the thing is supposed to slow down.?

Yeah, that was unnervingly interesting.....

[Declaration Day]

The source of global warming is cows.  Everyone knows that.

That and grass trimmers (what non-lawnservice company-owning people call a Weed Whip).  They started putting catalytic converters on them a couple of years ago.  (We take them off)

[mtnbkr]

They started putting catalytic converters on them a couple of years ago.  (We take them off)

Really?  I didn't know they were doing that now.  

Why take them off though?  Do they cause problems?

Chris

[French G.]

"They don't know how they did it."  That sentence coming from someone creating rather warm nook cul ear reactions concerns me a little.

[Guest]

...Scientists have produced superheated gas exceeding temperatures of 2 billion degrees ...

Jay Leno joked that when the scientists took their frozen burrito out of the machine, the center was still cold.

[Ben]

scientists took their frozen burrito out of the machine

Or was the burrito the catalyst for the superheated gas???

[Declaration Day]

They started putting catalytic converters on them a couple of years ago.  (We take them off)

Really?  I didn't know they were doing that now.  

Why take them off though?  Do they cause problems?

Chris

Yes, they do cause problems.  They severely restrict the power output of the engine.  After a couple of weeks, the narrow slits that serve as exhaust ports start to clog with carbon deposits, causing increased backpressure.  We switch the catalytic converter exhausts with replacement standard exhausts for the older models. They bolt on with no modifications.

I don't know if a $99 Sears-type gas powered trimmer has a catalytic converter, but Shindaiwa, the leading commercial brand does.

Anyway, I mentioned this because it's a joke in my company, that we are going to save the earth now that our trimmers are California emissions compliant.

[mtnbkr]

Interesting.  I haven't used a gas weedeater in ages, though that one was a commercial model.  I had no idea emissions was an issue yet.

Chris

[crt360]

Where do you get a thermometer that goes up to 3.6 billion degrees?

[El Tejon]

Bed Bath & Beyond?

[Declaration Day]

Where do you get a thermometer that goes up to 3.6 billion degrees?

I don't know, but if you ever use it you'd better look at it quickly before it vaporizes.

[crt360]

Bed Bath & Beyond?

It might be pretty hard to get one out the door.

It would have to be really long.  If it started vaporizing at one end you could still have somebody read you the temperature over the phone (long distance).

By my calculations, if it started around 0 degrees F and was your regular old glass/mercury thermometer, it would be something like 150 million feet long.  That's 28,409 miles.  3508 miles longer than the circumference of Earth at the equator.  If you need that much thermometer, your $#*t is too hot and you need to go find some other experiment to play with before you mess yourself up.  What do you do when your 3.6 billion degree and climbing, ball of plasmatic burrito decides it doesn't want to be contained anymore?

[mtnbkr]

What do you do when your 3.6 billion degree and climbing, ball of plasmatic burrito decides it doesn't want to be contained anymore?

Lift a cheek and pray...

Chris

[Scout26]

What do you do when your 3.6 billion degree and climbing, ball of plasmatic burrito decides it doesn't want to be contained anymore?

Lift a cheek and pray...

Chris

ABSOLUTELY. THE. BEST. POST. EVER.

[Scout26]

One thing that puzzles scientists is that the high temperature was achieved after the plasmas ions should have been losing energy and cooling. Also, when the high temperature was achieved, the Z machine was releasing more energy than was originally put in, something that usually occurs only in nuclear reactions.

I get reeeaaalllll worried when the eggheads in the lab coats are standing around looking at each other with that "Gee Whiz, THAT wasn't supposed to happen " looks on their faces when messing around with the basic building blocks of nature.

[charby]

Chris I laughed so hard that my head hurts.. Best one liner come back in a long time.

C

[RevDisk]

I get reeeaaalllll worried when the eggheads in the lab coats are standing around looking at each other with that "Gee Whiz, THAT wasn't supposed to happen " looks on their faces when messing around with the basic building blocks of nature.

One of my very old physics professors said the first atomic weapon explosions produced the same expression.   More than a few of them wondered if it'd cause the atmosphere to ignite.  :/

I vaguely remember showing more responsibility with a can of mo-gas, a bunch of bricks of C4 and a bottle of Bulgarian moonshine.

[Lo.Com.Denom]

I get reeeaaalllll worried when the eggheads in the lab coats are standing around looking at each other with that "Gee Whiz, THAT wasn't supposed to happen " looks on their faces when messing around with the basic building blocks of nature

Me too. A while ago, I read about some scientists trying to create antimatter in the lab. Apparently, they didn't know if they would get a result, or if they'd destroy the known universe. Thought they'd "give it a go", anyway. Yeah, thanks for that, lads. Cheers.

My first thought on hearing this: "Destroy the universe?! Don't you need a license or something for that?"

Some days I just feel so British...

[RevDisk]

My first thought on hearing this: "Destroy the universe?! Don't you need a license or something for that?"

Some days I just feel so British...

Don't feel too bad, you'd need to file for a "Destructive Device" license for such a device here in the US too.  Costs $200, unless you're a licensed DD manufacturer.  

Lots of red tape involved with destroying the universe these days, sigh.  No wonder super-villians ain't what they used to be.   Gods know how much paperwork they'd have to fill out.   Environmental studies, OSHA compliance, licenses, fighting the zoning boards, etc.


Still, I'm tempted to file for a DD permit for a hypothetically "blow up the universe" device.   Just to see if the BATFE would accept or reject it.  

[Guest]

Where do you get a thermometer that goes up to 3.6 billion degrees?

I was kinda wondering how they measure temperatures like that myself. Im sure it has to be some kind of optical method since there is no way anything is going to survive in a temperature like that. I wonder how they insulate the machine against such astronomical temperatures. Think about it, if you turn the machine inside out couldnt it then survive a trip to the center of the sun and back? Why havent we done *that*?

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

It's all the fault of them goldurn scientists again. If they hadn't started monkeying around with them infernal combustion engines in the first place, there wouldn't be no global warming.

- NF