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arXiv:1309.4838astro-ph.GA

Mass Extinction And The Structure Of The Milky Way

M. D. Filipović, J. Horner, E. J. Crawford, N. F. H. Tothill

Abstract

We use the most up to date Milky Way model and solar orbit data in order to test the hypothesis that the Sun's galactic spiral arm crossings cause mass extinction events on Earth. To do this, we created a new model of the Milky Way's spiral arms by combining a large quantity of data from several surveys. We then combined this model with a recently derived solution for the solar orbit to determine the timing of the Sun's historical passages through the Galaxy's spiral arms. Our new model was designed with a symmetrical appearance, with the major alteration being the addition of a spur at the far side of the Galaxy. A correlation was found between the times at which the Sun crosses the spiral arms and six known mass extinction events. Furthermore, we identify five additional historical mass extinction events that might be explained by the motion of the Sun around our Galaxy. These five additional significant drops in marine genera that we find include significant reductions in diversity at 415, 322, 300, 145 and 33 Myr ago. Our simulations indicate that the Sun has spent ~60% of its time passing through our Galaxy's various spiral arms. Also, we briefly discuss and combine previous work on the Galactic Habitable Zone with the new Milky Way model.

arXiv comments
Accepted for publication in Serbian Astronomical Journal
Journal reference
DOI
doi:10.2298/SAJ130819005F
Subjects
astro-ph.GAAstrophysics of Galaxies astro-ph.EPEarth and Planetary Astrophysics

On Hacker News

Linked by 5 identifiable commenters in 5 comments across 5 threads, from Jan 2017 to May 2020. Found in 3 HN submissions from Sep 2013 to Oct 2019. Open submission discussions.

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Discussed in comments5 threads

  1. Swarm satellites probe weakening of Earth’s magnetic field 1 comment

    • There was a 2013 paper titled "Mass Extinction and the Structure of the Milky Way" that you might find interesting: https://arxiv.org/abs/1309.4838 - I don't know if there have been any significant follow ups since it published. Basically our galaxy is a spiral galaxy with four…

      _zdbfView on HNParent context

  2. Panspermia 1 comment

    • It boggles the mind. All of it. The scale of space, the scale of time, our own tiny brief existence in it. The possibility that several civilization collapses occurred right here and we wouldn't know it. The possibility that life elsewhere in the universe came and went and the…

      _fwptView on HNParent context

  3. All disk galaxies rotate once every billion years: study 1 comment

    • Density wave theory [1] posits that the "arms" of a spiral galaxy are more like stellar gravitational traffic jams than persistent objects-- stars pass through and clump up in arms, but the stars in each arm change through the eons. If you plot mass extinction events against…

      ScaevolusView on HNParent context

  4. Mass Extinction and the Structure of the Milky Way (2013) 1 comment

    • Full text: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1309.4838.pdf With what reasoning or evidence do they propose their new model of the galaxy? Is it: - extinction events, therefore new model or - astronomical data, therefor new model, and look how nicely it correlates with known extinction events

      steinysteinView on HNParent context

  5. Large stationary gravity wave in the atmosphere of Venus 1 comment

    • Fun fact: spiral galaxies' galactic arms are stationary waves. They don't spin like spokes on a wheel. Stars in the arms don't remain in them - every star traverses through the arms and the regions between them [1]. Indeed, correlations have been hypothesised between Earth's…

      JumpCrisscrossView on HNParent context

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