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The use of the Born approximation in describing the energy loss process for relativistic cosmic rays with Z above 20 underestimates the energy loss due to the production of high-energy secondary electrons. The implications of this fact for the response of various detectors, such as ion chambers, scintillators, emulsions, and Cerenkov counters are discussed.
Large area ion chambers for a high energy cosmic ray experiment, scintillating plastic fibers as light pipes for a cosmic ray hodoscope, and an evaluation of clad scintillating light pipes were considered.
The flight models of the active radiation detector (ARD) for the ENV-01 environmental monitor were calibrated using gamma radiation. Measured sensitivities of the ion chambers were 6.1 + or - 0.3 micron rad per count for ARD S/N1, and 10.4 + or - 0.5 micron rad per count for ARD S/N2. Both were linear over the measured range 0.10 to 500 m/rad hour. The particle counters (proportional counters) were set to respond to approximately 85% of minimum ionizing particles of unit charge passing through them. These counters were also calibrated in the gamma field.
The Heavy Nuclei Experiment on HEAO-3 uses a combination of ion chambers and a Cerenkov counter. During analysis, each particle is assigned two parameters Z sub c and Z sub l proportion signal is double valued, a unique assignment of particle charge, Z, is not possible in general. Previous work was limited to particles of either high rigidity or low energy, for which a unique charge assignment was possible, although those subsets contain less than 50% of the total number of particles observed. The use of the maximum likelihood technique to determine abundances for the complete data set from approximately 1.5 to approximately 80 GeV/amu is studied.
An observation of the abundances of cosmic-ray lead and platinum-group nuclei using data from the HEAO-3 Heavy Nuclei Experiment (HNE) which consisted of ion chambers mounted on both sides of a plastic Cerenkov counter is reported. Further analysis with more stringent selections, inclusion of additional data, and a calibration at the LBL Bevalac, have allowed obtaining the abundance ratio of lead and the platinum group of elements for particles that had a cutoff rigidity R sub c 5 GV.
The Heavy Nuclei Experiment on (HEAO-3) high energy astronomy observatory 3 uses a combination of ion chambers and a Cerenkov counter. During analysis, each particle is assigned two parameters, Z sub c and Z sub i, proportional to the square roots of the Cerenkov and mean ionization signals respectively. Because the ionization signal is double valued, a unique assignment of particle charge, Z, is not possible in general. Previous work was limited to particles of either high rigidity or low energy, for which a unique charge assignment was possible, although those subsets contain less than 50% of the total number of particles observed. The maximum likelihood technique was used to determine abundances for the complete data set from approx. 1.5 to approx. 80 GeV/amu.
Corrections to the Z-squared dependence of ion chamber and Cherenkov response due to the Mott cross section are calculated for the HEAO-3 Heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment. The effect of the production and escape of high energy secondary electrons on detector response is accounted for by numerical calculations. These secondary electron effects are shown to influence the size of the non Z-squared effects and thus affect the charge assignments and detector resolution. The Bloch and relativistic Bloch corrections are not included in the results presented here but may be combined with the Mott corrections when the Bloch corrections are properly evaluated.
An observation of the abundances of cosmic-ray lead and platinum-group nuclei using data from the HEAO-3 Heavy Nuclei Experiment (HNE) which consisted of ion chambers mounted on both sides of a plastic Cherenkov counter (Binns et al., 1981) is reported. Further analysis with more stringent selections, inclusion of additional data, and a calibration at the LBL Bevalac, have allowed the determination of the abundance ratio of lead and the platinum group of elements for particles that had a cutoff rigidity R(c) 5 GV. The observed ratio for Pb/Pt is distinctly lower than that predicted by any of the standard models for cosmic ray sources. It is possible that the difference is not an indication that the cosmic ray source composition is greatly different from that of the solar system, but rather that there is less Pb in the solar system and in the r-process than is assumed in the standard models.
Absolute absorption cross sections have been measured for the rare gases at 58.43, 73.59, and 74.37 nm with an accuracy of + or - 0.8 percent. For the molecules H2, N2, O2, CO, N2O, CO2, and CH4, precision measurements were made at 58.43 nm with an accuracy of + or - 0.8 percent. Molecular absorption cross sections are also reported at 73.59 and 74.37 nm. However, in the vicinity of these wavelengths most molecules exhibit considerable structure, and cross sections measured at these wavelengths may depend on the widths and the amounts of self-reversal of these resonance lines. A detailed discussion is given of the systematic errors encountered with the double-ion chamber used in the cross-sectional measurements. Details are also given of precision pressure measurements.
The present conference discusses the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) calibration by means of synchrotron radiation and its X-ray reflectivity, X-ray scattering measurements from thin-foil X-ray mirrors, lobster-eye X-ray optics using microchannel plates, space-based interferometry at EUV and soft X-ray wavelengths, a water-window imaging X-ray telescope, a graded d-spacing multilayer telescope for high energy X-ray astronomy, photographic films for the multispectral solar telescope array, a soft X-ray ion chamber, and the development of hard X-ray optics. Also discussed are X-ray spectroscopy with multilayered optics, a slit aperture for monitoring X-ray experiments, an objective double-crystal spectrometer, a Ly-alpha coronagraph/polarimeter, tungsten/boron nitride multilayers for XUV optical applications, the evaluation of reflectors for soft X-ray optics, the manufacture of elastically bent crystals and multilayer mirrors, and selective photodevices for the VUV.
We have reanalyzed diurnal anisotropy data obtained with the shielded ion chamber (IC) at Cheltenham/Fredericksburg and the neutron monitor (NM) at Swarthmore/Newark. IC data are for the 1936-1977 period and NM data are for the 1965-1988 period. We have corrected IC data for the diurnal temperature effect. Application of this correction results in a better agreement between IC and other data sets, thereby making it possible to study the long-term changes in the diurnal anisotropy using IC data. The behavior of the annual mean east-west anisotropy is studied for 53 years of observations. The period encompasses more than two solar magnetic (Hale) cycles. Its amplitude undergoes the expected 11 and 22 year variations, with the largest changes occurring near solar activity minima. Moreover, the data indicate the presence of the subsidiary maxima for the entire 53-year period, following the solar polar field reversals, during the declining phases of activity cycles when high-speed solar wind streams are present in the heliosphere. The data suggest that the amplitude of the subsidiary maximum is large when the solar polar magnetic field points toward the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, and radial anisotropy is absent.
As the human exploration of space has received new attention in the United States, studies find that exposure to space radiation could adversely impact the mission design. Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR), with its very wide range of charges and energies, is particularly important for a mission to Mars, because it imposes a stiff mass penalty for spacecraft shielding. Dose equivalent versus shielding thickness calculations, show a rapid initial drop on exposure with thickness, but an asymptotic behavior at a higher shielding thickness. Uncertainties in the radiobiology are largely unknown. For a fixed radiation risk, this leads to large uncertainties in shielding thickness for small uncertainties in estimated dose. In this paper we investigate the application of steady-state, spherically-symmetric diffusion-convection theory of solar modulation to individual measurements of differential energy spectra from 1954 to 1989 in order to estimate the diffusion coefficient, kappa(r,t), as a function of time. We have correlated the diffusion coefficient to the Climax neutron monitor rates and show that, if the diffusion coefficient can be separated into independent functions of space and time: kappa(r,t)=K(t) k(sub 0) beta Pk(sub 1) (r), where beta is the particle velocity and P the rigidity, then (i) The time dependent quantity 1/K(t), which is proportional to the deceleration potential, phi(r,t), is linearly related to the Climax neutron monitor counting rate. (ii) The coefficients obtained from hydrogen or helium intensity measurements are the same. (iii) There are different correlation functions for odd and even solar cycles. (iv) The correlation function for the Climax neutron monitor counting rate for given time, t, can be used to estimate mean deceleration parameter phi(t) to within +/- 15% with 90% confidence. We have shown that k(r,t) determined from hydrogen and/or helium data, can be used to fit the oxygen and iron differential energy spectra with a root mean square error of about +/- 10%, and essentially independent of the particle charge or energy. We have also examined the ion chamber and C-14 measurements which allow the analysis to be extended from the year 1906 to 1990. Using this model we have defined reference GCR spectra at solar minimum and solar maximum. These can be used for space exploration studies and provide a quantitative estimate of the error in dose due to changes in GCR intensities.
Different aspects of assaying Martian regolith using neutrons have been investigated. The epithermal portion of moderated neutrons spectra is dramatically effected by the presence of hydrogen (usually in the form of water). A simple analytic formula has been derived to describe the amplitude of this portion of the neutron spectrum as a function of water concentration. Several demonstration experiments have been performed and modeled with a Monte Carlo code. Results of these experiments generally agreed with the calculations to within 20%. In addition to He-3 detectors, lithium-glass scintillators and U-238 fission ion chambers were investigated to determine their applicability to space experiments.
The radiation environment in low-Earth orbital flights is complex. It is strongly influenced by altitude, orbital inclination, time within a given solar cycle, flight duration, and shielding configuration. At any specified shielded location, both primary and secondary particles generated by nuclear interactions of primary particles with spacecraft structure are present. In addition, there are atmospheric secondary albedo protons and neutrons. No single detector can adequately measure this complex radiation field, and measurements of very high linear energy transfer target fragmentation products are particularly difficult. Crew radiation exposure have exclusively been measured using passive thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs). The cosmonaut exposures on the Mir station, uncorrected for the TLD inefficiency and neutron contribution, have varied from a low of 2.43 cGy to a high of 8.70 cGy. These correspond to dose rates of 144 microGy d(-1) to 468 microGy d(-1). These are consistent with rates observed by the D2 ion-chamber. Using the rates measured by the D1 chamber, dose rates under 4 cm of water vary from about 60 microGy d-1 to about 350 microGy d(-1). There is variation of about a factor of two between the dose rates at various locations in the same module. There is also a variation of dose rates of about a factor two between various modules. The highest astronaut dose for a Shuttle flight (STS-82) was 3.205 cGy with a dose rate of 3,221 microGy d(-1). Neutron contribution could be 36 +/- 15% of the astronaut charged particle dose equivalent. East-West asymmetry of dose rate is significant for spacecrafts that fly in an fixed altitude, such as the International Space Station.
Biomass burning has been identified as a primary emission source for a host of gas and aerosol phase compounds which can damage environmental and human health. During FIREX-AQ collaborators from UNH, NASA Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment (LARGE), and Brown University conducted measurements out of NASA Langley’s mobile laboratory during July and August of 2019. Nitrous acid (HONO) and nitric acid (HNO3) concentrations were measured at nominal 5-minute resolution using a dual mist chamber-ion chromatograph system resulting in approximately 1,200 total samples from five separate fires in the western US. Enhancement ratios between PM2.5 and carbon monoxide were used to discriminate between young and aged smoke plumes. Average HONO concentrations were significantly higher (P << 0.01) in young daytime compared to nighttime smoke while no statistical differences (P > 0.05) were observed between young and aged smoke during day or night. In daytime smoke from the Williams Flats fire (75 km SE of Spokane, WA on the Columbia River) UV-A irradiation was highly correlated with HONO to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) ratios; indicating that heterogenous NO2 to HONO conversion more than compensated for rapid photolytic loss of HONO. Black carbon (BC) may serve as a stable proxy for total available aerosol surface area in biomass burning plumes when total aerosol size distributions are unavailable. During the day HONO/NO2 is weakly correlated to BC when BC abundance exceeds 1 ug/m3 but at lower BC concentrations the relationship breaks down. At night this relationship was stronger, partly due to consistently high BC concentrations. These observations suggest that heterogenous conversion of NO2 to HONO on aerosol is a significant source of HONO in dense smoke plumes. In more diffuse smoke conversion on other surfaces (soil, foliage) becomes more important.
In this work a computer code called PRIMA is used to study the motion of primary electrons in the magnetic cusp region of the discharge chamber of an ion engine. Even though the amount of wall area covered by the cusps is very small, the cusp regions are important because prior computational analyses have indicated that most primary electrons leave the discharge chamber through the cusps. The analysis presented here focuses on the cusp region only. The affects of the shape and size of the cusp region on primary electron travel are studied as well as the angle and location at which the electron enters the cusp region. These affects are quantified using the confinement length and the number density distributions of the primary electrons. In addition to these results comparisons of the results from PRIMA are made to experimental results for a cylindrical discharge chamber with two magnetic rings. These comparisons indicate the validity of the computer code called PRIMA.
Grit-blasted anode surfaces are commonly used in ion engines to ensure adherence of sputtered coatings. Next generation ion engines will require higher power levels, longer operating times, and thus there will likely be thicker sputtered coatings on their anode surfaces than observed to date on 2.3 kW-class xenon ion engines. The thickness of coatings on the anode of a 10 kW, 40-centimeter diameter thruster, for example, may be 22 micrometers or more after extended operation. Grit-blasted wire mesh, titanium, and aluminum coupons were coated with molybdenum at accelerated rates to establish coating stability after the deposition process and after thermal cycling tests. These accelerated deposition rates are roughly three orders of magnitude more rapid than the rates at which the screen grid is sputtered in a 2.3 kW-class, 30-centimeter diameter ion engine. Using both RF and DC sputtering processes, the molybdenum coating thicknesses ranged from 8 to 130 micrometers, and deposition rates from 1.8 micrometers per hour to 5.1 micrometers per hour. In all cases, the molybdenum coatings were stable after the deposition process, and there was no evidence of spalling of the coatings after 20 cycles from about -60 to +320 C. The stable, 130 micrometer molybdenum coating on wire mesh is 26 times thicker than the thickest coating found on the anode of a 2.3 kW, xenon ion engine that was tested for 8200 hr. Additionally, this coating on wire mesh coupon is estimated to be a factor of greater than 4 thicker than one would expect to obtain on the anode of the next generation ion engine which may have xenon throughputs as high as 550 kg.
"Kaufman thrusters," or electron bombardment thrusters, were developed for a spacecraft electric propulsion technique called ion propulsion. The technique, conceived by a Lewis Research Center engineer, is used by industry to etch microcircuits for electronic systems and deposition of thin films as coatings on gas atoms to create ions in a discharge chamber. The ions are ejected from the chamber as ion beams, then mixed with an equal number of electrons becoming a thrusting force. Commonwealth Scientific Corporation's product line derives largely from Dr. Kaufman's technology and includes ion sources for a number of applications.