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Engineering topics

Mack, J. E.

Publications and source records attributed to Mack, J. E..

Transition-radiation-Compton-scattering detector for very relativistic nuclei

The paper presents the design and predicted performance of a large acceptance (2 sq m sr) transition-radiation-Compton-scattering detector system which can be used to measure energy spectra up to several thousand Gev/nucleon for nuclei with Z between 6 and 28, as well as up to 40,000 GeV/nucleon for He. The following circumstances made such a detector system practicable: (1) transition radiation output is proportional to the square of particle charge; (2) output varies at least as rapidly as the square of Lorentz factor over the range from several hundred to several thousand.

Osborne, W. Z.↗

On the possibility of a geocoronal contribution to the celestial soft X-ray background

The possibility is investigated that a significant fraction of the X-ray background in the energy range from 0.2 to 0.28 keV originates in the geocorona through bremsstrahlung. It is concluded that the geocoronal flux must be substantial at some times and the possibility exists that an observable geocoronal background exists at all times. The existing data on the soft X-ray background is found to be compatible with the hypothesis of a geocoronal component.

Mack, J. E.↗

Medium-to-medium transition radiation and the detection of ultrarelativistic charged particles

The use of X-ray transition radiation to distinguish between protons and positrons of equal rigidity was investigated. A formula for the transition radiation spectrum from a medium-to-medium boundary was derived. The formation zone effect was found to limit the detection of transition radiation from ultrarelativistic particles. Curves showing the results of the spectrum calculations are presented.

Robbins, D. E.↗

X-ray observations of Virgo XR-1

Virgo XR-1 X rays observation with rocket-borne proportional counters, noting photo index or bremsstrahlung temperature consistency with spectrum

Bowyer, S.↗