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From: dietz@SLB-DOLL.CSNET (Paul Dietz)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Fermi Paradox, or "Where is everybody?"
Message-ID: <8603291610.AA02823@s1-b.arpa>
Date: Sat, 29-Mar-86 09:55:03 EST
Article-I.D.: s1-b.8603291610.AA02823
Posted: Sat Mar 29 09:55:03 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 1-Apr-86 05:07:02 EST
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Organization: The ARPA Internet
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When I realized what the author of that Analog article was proposing
I was practically rolling on the floor with laughter.  He didn't
realize that only the *uncharged* particles from Cygnus X-3 travel
in straight lines (and would form a shell); the charged particles
(especially the lower energy ones that make up the bulk of cosmic
radiation) are trapped by galactic magnetic field lines and diffuse
through the galaxy for a few millions years, like nuclei in a magnetic
fusion machine, until they run into something (mainly interstellar
matter) or escape.  A pulse of radiation added to this galactic
reservoir will be tremendously smeared out.  Charged cosmic rays
hitting earth show no directionality anyway.

It may be conceivable that planets near a Cygnus X-3 would receive
lethal doses of radiation when the nearby source turned on.  In that
case, Earth may be have lucked out and never have been near such
a source during its history.  All the other potentially life bearing
planets got zapped.