Evidence for a Large Anomalous Nuclear Explosions in Mars Past

J.E. Brandenburg Mars Society Meeting

The following paper was presented at the STAIF II

Conference in Albuquerque In April 2014

Agenda • Introduction: Solar System Isotopes • Mars Xenon Anomaly • Mars Krypton- the neutron paradox • Mars Thorium and Uranium paradox • Hypothesis: Natural Nuclear reactor on

Mars • Problems with The Natural Nuclear Reactor

Hypothesis • Summary

Mars Isotopes: Baseline

We can compare Mars isotopes with those from meteorites Earth and other Planets which sampled the solar nebula

Viking Lander 1976

Mars Noble gas isotopes, especially Xenon and Krypton are exotic

Mars Meteorites

Mars meteorites were identified as Martian because of trapped Mars atmosphere-because of its exotic isotopic signature

Mars atmosphere found in Mars Meteorites

Mars Isotope Anomalies

Mars Versus Earth Xenon Mars Vs Earth Natural Xenon(Normed to Xenon130=100)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136

Xenon isotope mass (amu)

num

ber

dens

ity (

Xe

130=

100)

Earth (natural)Mars

Mars Xenon is very different form every other Solar System source

Mars Krypton • Mars 80Kr/84Kr is enhanced 10% over Solar

nebula baseline ( Earth 80Kr/84Kr ~enhanced 1% )

• 80Kr believed generated by neutron capture on 79Br

• Neutron fluence of 1015/cm2 required on Mars rock

Mars Irradiation Evidence

EETA79001_476 lithology A

EETA79001_482 Lithology B Neutron irradiated ~ 1015/cm2

No neutron irradiation

Mars Meteorite ETA79001 –180Myr old

Mars Ar 40 is Super-abundant

Argon 40 is produced by neutron irradiation of Potassium 39 changing it to Potassium 40 which decays after 1.28 Billion years to Argon 40 Mars 40Ar/36Ar, 1.9(±0.3) × 103 vs Earth 40Ar/36Ar, 298.56 or Mars ~ 6x Earth Consistent with large neutron flux on Mars soil

Mars Uranium and Thorium Paradox

Mars Uranium and Thorium Paradox

Mars Potassium

Hot spot

Mars Thorium

antipode Hot spot

Mare Acidalium Utopia Planum

Two hot spots: This isotopic data is consistent with a large explosion in Mare Acidalium and a smaller one in Utopia Planum a hot spot in the South appears to be the approximate antipode from the Mare Acidalium explosion

Natural Nuclear Reactors

In Africa, at 20 different sites, nature ran its own nuclear reactors 1Billion years ago due to groundwater invading uranium deposits

Hypothesis: Mars Had Its Own Natural Nuclear Reactor

Uranium Thorium Rich body buried on Mars

Groundwater invades body

Natural Nuclear Reactor Operates

Mars Natural Nuclear Reactor Explodes

Natural Nuclear Reactor Explosively Dis-assembles

Natural Nuclear Reactor Goes Unstable

A Fine Hypothesis

“ If natural nuclear reactors happened on Earth due to uranium deposits then they had to have occurred on Mars also” Geologist

Sherlock Holmes

A Detective Story

“ But the dog did not bark…”

Problems with Hypothesis

• No crater at hot spot of radiation • Xenon Spectrum is not from nuclear reactor

Mare Acidalium Site?

Mare Acidalium

No large Crater Visible in Mare Acidalium or Utopia Planum

Utopia Planum

?

Explosions Appear to Have Occurred Midair

• Explosion irradiated soil with Neutrons and scattered Thorium and Uranium around Planet forming broad-shallow depression

Thermal Fission Xenon

Xe 129 is normally much less than Xe 132 in Fission reactor processes

Earth Atmosphere Xenon Reactor Fission Xenon

Xe 129

If Xenon Isotope Spectrum Does Not Resemble Thermal Fission

Spectrum,

What does it Resemble?

Mars Versus Earth Fission Xenon Mars Vs Fission Xenon

(normed to Xenon 129=100)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136

Xenon isotope mass (amu)

num

ber

dens

ity (

Xen

on 1

29=1

00)

Mars XenonFission Xenon

Earth Fission Xe Due to H-Bomb Testing

Hydrogen bombs are boosted by fission of a uranium or thorium casing ~50% of yield is fission. This creates xenon isotopes.

Hydrogen Bomb Testing

Fission of Uranium-Thorium casing doubles power of Hydrogen bombs

Fission Yield From 14 MeV Neutrons

Fission driven by 14MeV neutrons in hydrogen bomb, produces more Xe129 than other Xe isotopes

Mars Versus Earth Mixed Xenon Mars Vs Mixed Earth and Fission Xenon (30/70)

(normed to Xenon 129=100)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136

Xenon isotope mass (amu)

num

ber d

ensi

ty (

Xeno

n 12

9=10

0)

Mixed Earth natural andFission Xenon"Mars Xenon

Mare Acidalium

Hot spot

Effects are Consistent with Mid-Air Thermonuclear Explosion

with Fission Boosting Yeild ~10 9 Megatons

Sci-Fi Movie Dark Star (1974) directed by John Carpenter

Featured destruction of Planets by very large Hydrogen Bombs

Therefore: Cause of Explosions must be Considered Anomalous at this time…

Summary • The Xenon, Krypton and U-Th anomalies are consistent

with a large Thermonuclear weapon midair explosion in the past- and little else

• Cause of Explosions must therefore be considered Anomalous