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During cosmic ray propagation in interplanetary space there appear characteristic cosmic-ray intensity scintillations which are due to charged particle scattering on random inhomogeneities of the interplanetary magnetic field. The power spectra of cosmic ray scintillations on the Earth during some intervals from 1977 to 1982 (for quiet periods, for solar flares and Forbush decreases due to power shock waves) have been calculated from five-minute, one and two-hour values of the cosmic-ray intensity measured by the scintillator supertelescope IZMIRAN. The spectra were estimated by the methods of spectral analysis and by autoregressive methods which mutually control each other and make it possible not only to analyze scintillation powers at distinguished frequencies, but also to determine the behavior of spectrum slopes in some frequency ranges.
On the basis of well established cosmic ray propagation models, the expected flux of antiprotons in cosmic rays within the few-hundred MeV region is small by comparison with the observed flux. Observational data are presently approached through the examination of the possibility of antiproton production by supernova (SN) envelopes during the expansion phase and while undergoing the consequent adiabatic deceleration. In the case of the SN explosions in dense clouds treated, the SN remnant is decelerated within a few thousand years, generating may antiprotons whose spectrum can be calculated by taking all energy loss processes into account and examining the remnant's spectral evolution. Attention is also given to the possibility of obtaining the antiproton spectrum with enhanced flux at low energies.
Beryllium-10 is of interest for cosmic ray propagation, because its radioactive decay half-life is well matched to the expected cosmic ray age. Recent beryllium isotope measurements from satellites and balloon covered an energy range from about 30 to 300 MeV/nucleon. At the lowest energies, most of the Be-10 is absent, indicating a cosmic ray lifetime of order 2 x 10 to the 7th power years and the rather low average density of 0.2 atoms/cc traversed by the cosmic rays. At higher energies, a greater propagation of Be-10 is observed, indicating a somewhat shorter lifetime. These experiments will be reviewed and then compared with a new experiment covering from 100 to 1000 MeV/nucleon. Although improved experiments will be necessary to realize the full potential of cosmic ray beryllium isotope measurements, these first results are already disclosing interesting and unexpected facts about cosmic ray acceleration and propagation.
We have performed an analysis of the diffuse gamma-ray emission with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) in the Milky Way halo region, searching for a signal from dark matter annihilation or decay. In the absence of a robust dark matter signal, constraints are presented. We consider both gamma rays produced directly in the dark matter annihilation/decay and produced by inverse Compton scattering of the e+/e− produced in the annihilation/decay. Conservative limits are derived requiring that the dark matter signal does not exceed the observed diffuse gamma-ray emission. A second set of more stringent limits is derived based on modeling the foreground astrophysical diffuse emission using the GALPROP code. Uncertainties in the height of the diffusive cosmic-ray halo, the distribution of the cosmic-ray sources in the Galaxy, the index of the injection cosmic-ray electron spectrum, and the column density of the interstellar gas are taken into account using a profile likelihood formalism, while the parameters governing the cosmic-ray propagation have been derived from fits to local cosmic-ray data. The resulting limits impact the range of particle masses over which dark matter thermal production in the early universe is possible, and challenge the interpretation of the PAMELA/Fermi-LAT cosmic ray anomalies as the annihilation of dark matter.
The theory of the propagation of solar cosmic rays in the solar wind is reviewed, with particular emphasis on the diffusive transport during the decay phase of events. Recent evidence is shown to corroborate the prediction that the diffusion coefficient is small for protons with energies of the order of 1 Mev. It is concluded that the transport equation explains the principal phenomena quite well, in that most effects are reasonably understood.
An instrument, the Caltech High Energy Isotope Spectrometer Telescope was developed to measure isotopic abundances of cosmic ray nuclei by employing an energy loss - residual energy technique. A detailed analysis was made of the mass resolution capabilities of this instrument. A formalism, based on the leaky box model of cosmic ray propagation, was developed for obtaining isotopic abundance ratios at the cosmic ray sources from abundances measured in local interstellar space for elements having three or more stable isotopes, one of which is believed to be absent at the cosmic ray sources. It was shown that the dominant sources of uncertainty in the derived source ratios are uncorrelated errors in the fragmentation cross sections and statistical uncertainties in measuring local interstellar abundances. These results were applied to estimate the extent to which uncertainties must be reduced in order to distinguish between cosmic ray production in a solar-like environment and in various environments with greater neutron enrichments.
The propagation of ultraheavy (Z = 30 or more) cosmic-ray nuclei is investigated theoretically in the leaky-box model, expanding the analysis of Brewster et al. (1983) to include more individual nuclides and account for recent findings with respect to source compositions, cross sections, and the dependence of escape length and spectral characteristics on rigidity. The results of numerical computations are presented in tables and graphs and compared with observational data (from HEAO-3) and other theoretical predictions. Good agreement is obtained for Z = 32-42 and 50-58 using a solar-system source with a first-ionization-potential correlation factor and the solar-system abundances given by Anders and Ebihara (1982).
Studies and discoveries in cosmic-ray physics and generally in Astrophysics provide a fertile ground for research in many areas of Particle Physics and Cosmology, such as the search for dark matter, antimatter, new particles, and exotic physics, studies of the nucleosynthesis, origin of Galactic and extragalactic gamma-ray diffuse emission, formation of the large scale structure of the universe etc. In several years new missions are planned for cosmic-ray experiments, which will tremendously increase the quality and accuracy of cosmic-ray data. On the other hand, direct measurements of cosmic rays are possible in only one location on the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy and present only a snapshot of very dynamic processes. It has been recently realized that direct information about the fluxes and spectra of cosmic rays in distant locations is provided by the Galactic diffuse gamma-rays, therefore, complementing the local cosmic-ray studies. A wealth of information is also contained in the isotopic abundances of cosmic rays, therefore, accurate evaluation of the isotopic production cross sections is of primary importance for Astrophysics of cosmic rays, studies of the galactic chemical evolution, and Cosmology. In this talk, I will show new results obtained with GALPROP, the most advanced numerical model for cosmic-ray propagation, which includes in a self-consistent way all cosmic-ray species (stable and long-lived radioactive isotopes from H to Ni, antiprotons, positrons and electrons, gamma rays and synchrotron radiation), and all relevant processes and reactions.
Results obtained from a high altitude balloon flight from Thompson, Canada in August, 1973 are reported. The instrument consisted of a spark chamber, a Lucite Gerenkov counter and thirteen layers of scintillators. For heavy particles the Cerenkov-range method of analysis was used to determine the mass of particles energetic enough to produce a Cerenkov signal and then stop in the layered scintillators. The data appear to be consistent with current cosmic-ray propagation models. Using a simple exponential path length propagation model this data is extrapolated to the cosmic-ray source and some implications of the data are discussed as to the nature of the source.
Solar cosmic ray propagation in interplanetary space
Cosmic ray electrons during propagation in interstellar space analyzed for energy spectrum modulation
Solar cosmic ray acceleration and propagation from time variation and heliocentric distance dependence of relative abundance of protons to helium nuclei
The Fokker-Planck coefficient for pitch-angle scattering, appropriate for cosmic rays in homogeneous stationary magnetic turbulence is computed without making any specific assumptions concerning the statistical symmetries of the random field. The Fokker-Planck coefficient obtained can be used to compute the parallel diffusion coefficient for high-energy cosmic rays propagating in the presence of strong turbulence, or for low-energy cosmic rays in the presence of weak turbulence. Because of the generality of magnetic turbulence allowed for in the analysis, special interplanetary magnetic field features, such as discontinuities or particular wave modes, can be included rigorously.
Low energy cosmic ray nuclei propagating in interstellar space analyzed by telescope onboard OGO 1
The Transport project's primary goals were to: (1) Provide measurements of critical fragmentation cross sections; (2) Study the cross section systematics; (3) Improve the galactic cosmic ray propagation methodology; and (4) Use the new cross section measurements to improve the interpretation of cosmic ray data. To accomplish these goals a collaboration was formed consisting of researchers in the US at Louisiana State University (LSU), Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the University of Minnesota (UM), New Mexico State University (NMSU), in France at the Centre d'Etudes de Saclay and in Italy at the Universita di Catania. The US institutions, lead by LSU, were responsible for measuring new cross sections using the LBL HISS facility, analysis of these measurements and their application to interpreting cosmic ray data. France developed a liquid hydrogen target that was used in the HISS experiment and participated in the data interpretation. Italy developed a Multifunctional Neutron Spectrometer (MUFFINS) for the HISS runs to measure the energy spectra, angular distributions and multiplicities of neutrons emitted during the high energy interactions. The Transport Project was originally proposed to NASA during Summer, 1988 and funding began January, 1989. Transport was renewed twice (1991, 1994) and finally concluded at LSU on September, 30, 1997. During the more than 8 years of effort we had two major experiment runs at LBL, obtained data on the interaction of twenty different beams with a liquid hydrogen target, completed the analysis of fifteen of these datasets obtaining 590 new cross section measurements, published nine journal articles as well as eighteen conference proceedings papers, and presented more than thirty conference talks.