A New T2K Disaster: The Magnatar Flare

[pmulcahy11b]

A Magnatar is a neutron star that is spinning very rapidly. Unlike a pulsar, however, the magnatar radiates magnetic energy instead of light and heat. Every few thousand years, magnatars throw out magnetic flares that can carry for thousands of light years.

If the Earth was in the path of one of those flares, the first thing that would happen would be a giant EMP wave enveloping the Earth. Everything from the satellites around the earth to the magnetic stripes on your credit cards in your pocket would be wiped out, electronically and magnetically.

The second thing is the thing that scientists are less sure of. It could range from the Earth's magnetic field gaining a lot of temporary strength to magnetic substances being heavily magnetized for a time to the Earth's magnetic field being totally stripped away (which would be game over for the Earth). The most interesting possibility from a T2K standpoint is that for many years after the burst, it could be impossible to get any electronic or magnetic devices to work, or even build any more, due to interference from the Earth's partially-strengthened magnetic field.

Interesting!