Evidence for Massive Thermonuclear Explosions on Mars in the Past

Mars atmosphere has three isotopic systems which differ strongly from Earth, the ratio of abundance of 129Xe/132Xe being 2.5 on Mars versus Earth at 0.97. the ratio of 40Ar./36Ar =1900 on Mars versus 299 on Earth, and the ratio of 14N/15N = 172 on Mars and 272 on Earth [1]. The Ar and N isotope anomalies appear to be due to an episode of intense neutron bombardment of Mars in the past, perhaps one half billion years ago. The Xe isotope anomaly has been a “mystery”[2] since its discovery in 1976. However, the Xe anomaly is apparently an indication of massive “R process” events, with physics known only to occur in Supernova or thermonuclear weapon explosions [3]. Estimates of the energy of the explosions will be presented and are 10-100 times that of the Chixulube impact on Earth. It is possible that due to massive neutron bombardment, atmospheric nitrogen on Mars “ignited” via the successive exothermic reactions : 14N(n, p)14C and 14N(n,gamma)15N then 15N(p,alpha)12C. The explosions appear to have been “airbursts” over two locations in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars as evidenced by enhanced radioactivity in potassium and thorium at two sites, a third site in the Southern Hemisphere appears to be location of colliding shock fronts wrapping around the planet. Deposits of “Trinitite"-like glass etched in nitric acid are centered at each northern site. These events would have transformed Mars from being Earthlike, with a paleo-ocean, to its present state. Possible evidence of this R-process event may be present in elevated levels of Pu244 and Fe60 in a Pacific sea floor sample indicating an oceanic Mars meteorite impact. . Evidence of the recent presence of nuclear devices near Earth in space may exist in the recovered debris from the bolide observed near New Guineu in 2014 [4] and appears consistent with a failed interstellar probe of the Project ORION type [5].

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   2. Conrad et al., Earth and Planetary Science Letters Volume 454, 15 November 2016, Pages 1-9
   
   3. Brandenburg, J. (2023) International Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 13, 112-139.
   
   4. Loeb A. et al. (2013) Discovery of Spherules of Likely Extrasolar Composition in the Pacific Ocean Site of the CNEOS 2014-01-08 (IM1) Bolide
   
   5. Schmidt , C .R. , Bonometti, J. A and Morton, P.J. (2000) AIAA 2000-3865