Complex modulated Gamma Ray signal discovered.
(Reported 24 Nov 2006 in J of A&A. )
(Discovered 2005 by HESS).

Believed:
                 to be caused by interaction of a massive compact
body, probably a black hole at 20% to 40% sun-earth radii. Interaction
between the GR and light from the star (LS5039 visible object) result
in particle pair creation and hence GR annihilation adding to the
modulation caused by the orbital system.

        http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=21359

       http://www.pparc.ac.uk/Nw/LS5039.asp

        More detail plus pictures
http://www.pparc.ac.uk/Nw/hess.asp

        Good stuff, some graphs. Picture of HESS's 4 optical receivers
(located in Namibia)
        http://www.mpi-hd.mpg.de/hfm/HESS/public/PressRelease/LS5039Press-2006/PressRelease_E.html

Their confidence, ability and willingness to pick a sine wave out of
such noisy data would do justice to any engineer :-). Undoubtedly the
claimed signal is there, and quite possibly all the sub effect as
well, but at an SNR of about 1 and standard deviation of way-up-there
the analysis must be interesting. Data points on their graph represent
levels from half hour integrations of optical 'Cerenkov radiation'
flashes detected by the array of 4 x 13 metre HESS
receivers/telescopes.




What is of interest is that throughout the whole article they use the
terms "light" and "Gamma Ray(s)" repeatedly but never explain in any
way to their target audience that these are identical phenomena (ie
photons) differentiated only by their energy levels.

Conversely, when [*] Harwell [**] want to build a Gamma Ray source
they ALWAYS describe the GR as light or (just occasionally) "hard
X-Rays" and never never use the term "Gamma Ray" - not in the company
name ("Diamond Light Source" AFAIR), not in their publicity blurbs,
not in their website info (***)  and not even in their "for public
consumption" scientific papers. One scientist discussing the Diamond
Source had the temerity to go so far as to call the output "light"
(his quotes). No doubt he has been suitably castigated and had his
publication rights reviewed. Can't go scaring/informing Joe Public.

It's a shame that when PPARC and SpaceREf want to talk down to the
public that they obscure (I'm sure without thinking) primary
information. It's par for the course when Harwell want to obfuscate
what they are doing from the gaze of the general public that they go
to extreme lengths to take the exactly opposite approach.



        Russell

[*] - [the liars at]
[**] - [who want to hide what they are doing from the uninformed so
that they don't cause more of a stir than they can help, even though
anyone with half an idea of anything related knows what they are
doing]

*** - AFAIR the term "Gamma Ray" occurs once on their site in one of
their FAQs in a peripheral context (BIMBW).

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