Uh, no, since Mars has no magnetic field to deflect high energy particles and radiation from the sun, it won't matter how thick you make the atmosphere on Mars. Mars is constantly losing its atmosphere to solar wind as well. You can make the atmosphere as thick as you want on Mars, and it still won't protect unshielded organisms from radiation/high energy particles.
If you can't post a source other than wikipedia, we don't have anything further to discuss...
Quote from: Rhyshaelkan on 09/03/2011 01:06 amIndeed. Someone with more brain wattage than I calculated that if you could raise Mars to 1 ata. It would take millions of years before the solar wind would strip it away to a non-life sustaining level. If you were somehow to raise the Earth's moon to 1 ata it would take thousands of years before the Moon would no longer have a breathable atmosphere.As human recorded history is only 10000-6000 years(depending on who you question). Our entire civilization could grow thrive and die before a 1 ata Mars would become uninhabitable, by the process of solar wind degradation of the atmosphere. Other ways to make Mars uninhabitable might do the job better Save your insults for someone else, I just want to see your sources of information that are suporting your claims. Thats all, nothing else.
Indeed. Someone with more brain wattage than I calculated that if you could raise Mars to 1 ata. It would take millions of years before the solar wind would strip it away to a non-life sustaining level. If you were somehow to raise the Earth's moon to 1 ata it would take thousands of years before the Moon would no longer have a breathable atmosphere.As human recorded history is only 10000-6000 years(depending on who you question). Our entire civilization could grow thrive and die before a 1 ata Mars would become uninhabitable, by the process of solar wind degradation of the atmosphere. Other ways to make Mars uninhabitable might do the job better
Quote from: UncleMatt on 09/04/2011 11:22 amQuote from: Rhyshaelkan on 09/03/2011 01:06 amIndeed. Someone with more brain wattage than I calculated that if you could raise Mars to 1 ata. It would take millions of years before the solar wind would strip it away to a non-life sustaining level. If you were somehow to raise the Earth's moon to 1 ata it would take thousands of years before the Moon would no longer have a breathable atmosphere.As human recorded history is only 10000-6000 years(depending on who you question). Our entire civilization could grow thrive and die before a 1 ata Mars would become uninhabitable, by the process of solar wind degradation of the atmosphere. Other ways to make Mars uninhabitable might do the job better Save your insults for someone else, I just want to see your sources of information that are suporting your claims. Thats all, nothing else.I may be blind or something, but I am utterly incapable of finding even a single insult in the above post.
I may be blind or something, but I am utterly incapable of finding even a single insult in the above post.
You apparently don't understand the concept of stopping power. A charged particle has a finite distance that it can travel through air before being stopped because it leaves a trail of ions as it goes through the air (and ionizing the air takes energy... which slows the particle down to a stop after a certain distance).This is so bloody obvious, and it is in the link I posted before (though the forum software ate it the first time I posted it) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stopping_power_(particle_radiation)I've done the experiment myself during my Sophomore year in college. It's easy to see in any cloud chamber (in fact, cloud chambers wouldn't work if charged particles weren't affected by atmosphere):
The areas of Mars expected to have the lowest levels of cosmic radiation are where the elevation is lowest, because those areas have more atmosphere above them to block out some of the radiation. Earth's thick atmosphere shields us from most cosmic radiation, but Mars has a much thinner atmosphere than we have on Earth.
Except you are wrong. If Mars had a thick, Earth-like atmosphere, the radiation dosage would be lower than the background radiation of some areas on Earth. An Earth-like magnetic field doesn't help deflect the highest energy cosmic rays, anyway, though it does help lower the radiation dosage somewhat in LEO. But the atmosphere is more important (since it shields against UV and X-rays, as well... something that magnetic fields have exactly zero influence on), and if thick enough can provide plenty of shielding for Mars inhabitants. A magnetic field is helpful, but is most certainly not absolutely required for effective shielding.A thick enough atmosphere is good enough for completely safe levels of shielding even with ZERO magnetic field.Heck, the cosmic ray radiation dosage in Hellas Basin, with just the current atmosphere of Mars, is already as low as the background radiation in parts of Ramsar, Iran (10 rem is basically equivalent to 100 mSv):http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA03480Quote The areas of Mars expected to have the lowest levels of cosmic radiation are where the elevation is lowest, because those areas have more atmosphere above them to block out some of the radiation. Earth's thick atmosphere shields us from most cosmic radiation, but Mars has a much thinner atmosphere than we have on Earth.For reference, the natural background dose in parts of Ramsar, Iran, is about 132 mSv (~13rem/year) inside some residences, and people live and have lived long, healthy lives there for generations. http://www.angelfire.com/mo/radioadaptive/ramsar.html
The experiment is easily repeatable with household items ...
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/21nov_plasmoids/