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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Lateral distribution of radio emission and its dependence on air shower longitudinal development

The lateral distribution function (LDF) of radio emission from an extensive air shower is considered as the basic signature sensitive to the shower longitudinal development and, as a consequence, to the mass of a primary cosmic ray's particle that initiated a given shower. The peculiarities in the LDF's structure as well as their sensitivity to the height of shower maximum are investigated and explained.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Interpretation of AMS-02 electrons and positrons data

We perform a combined analysis of the recent AMS-02 data on electrons, positrons, electrons plus positrons and positron fraction, in a self-consistent framework where we realize a theoretical modeling of all the astrophysical components that can contribute to the observed fluxes in the whole energy range. The primary electron contribution is modeled through the sum of an average flux from distant sources and the fluxes from the local supernova remnants in the Green catalog. The secondary electron and positron fluxes originate from interactions on the interstellar medium of primary cosmic rays, for which we derive a novel determination by using AMS-02 proton and helium data. Primary positrons and electrons from pulsar wind nebulae in the ATNF catalog are included and studied in terms of their most significant (while loosely known) properties and under different assumptions (average contribution from the whole catalog, single dominant pulsar, a few dominant pulsars). We obtain a remarkable agreement between our various modeling and the AMS-02 data for all types of analysis, demonstrating that the whole AMS-02 leptonic data admit a self-consistent interpretation in terms of astrophysical contributions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

DETECTION OF OH{sup +} IN TRANSLUCENT INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS: NEW ELECTRONIC TRANSITIONS AND PROBING THE PRIMARY COSMIC RAY IONIZATION RATE

We present the detection of rotationally resolved electronic transitions in the OH{sup +} A{sup 3}Π–X{sup 3}Σ{sup −} (0, 0) and (1, 0) bands toward CD-32 4348, HD 63804, HD 78344, and HD 80077. These four translucent clouds have been studied in a recent Very Large Telescope/Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph observational run. In total, seven absorption features of OH{sup +} are detected, and six of them are identified here for the first time, providing a precise tool to trace OH{sup +} in translucent interstellar clouds. An improved set of line positions and oscillator strengths is compiled to support our data interpretation. A dedicated analysis of the observed features in individual targets yields an accurate determination of OH{sup +} column densities. The results are applied to estimate the primary cosmic ray ionization rate in the investigated translucent clouds, which yields a typical value of ∼1.0 × 10{sup −16} s{sup −1}. In addition, following this work, two of the new interstellar features recently reported by Bhatt and Cami, at ∼3572.65 and 3346.96 Å, can be identified as OH{sup +} absorption lines now.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Contribution from cosmological scalar perturbations to the angular velocity spectrum of extragalactic sources

The possibility of the influence of adiabatic scalar perturbations on the angular velocity spectrum of extragalactic sources is considered. The multipole expansion coefficients of the angular velocity field in terms of vector spherical harmonics are calculated. We show that there is no contribution from adiabatic perturbations to the angular spectrum for a spatially flat Universe at the dusty stage, while there is a contribution only to the electric multiple coefficients at the stage of {Lambda}-term domination. The cases of long-wavelength and short-wavelength perturbations are considered separately. The relationship between the multipole angular velocity spectrum and the primordial scalar perturbation spectrum is discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

High-energy cosmic ray muons in the Earth's atmosphere

We present the calculations of the atmospheric muon fluxes at energies 10-10{sup 7} GeV based on a numerical-analytical method for solving the hadron-nucleus cascade equations. It allows the non-power-law behavior of the primary cosmic ray (PCR) spectrum, the violation of Feynman scaling, and the growth of the total inelastic cross sections for hadron-nucleus collisions with increasing energy to be taken into account. The calculations have been performed for a wide class of hadron-nucleus interaction models using directly the PCR measurements made in the ATIC-2 and GAMMA experiments and the parameterizations of the primary spectrum based on a set of experiments. We study the dependence of atmospheric muon flux characteristics on the hadronic interaction model and the influence of uncertainties in the PCR spectrum and composition on the muon flux at sea level. Comparison of the calculated muon energy spectra at sea level with the data from a large number of experiments shows that the cross sections for hadron-nucleus interactions introduce the greatest uncertainty in the energy region that does not include the knee in the primary spectrum.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Mass composition of 10{sup 17}- to 10{sup 18}-eV primary cosmic rays according to data on the lateral distribution of radio emission from extensive air showers

Experimental data obtained for the lateral distribution of radio emission from extensive air showers (EAS) at the array of Moscow State University (30-34 MHz) and the LOPES array (40-80 MHz) were comparedwith the results of calculations performed within amicroscopic approach based on aMonte Carlo simulation of EAS (CORSIKA code). The same experimental data were used to reconstruct the distribution of the depth of the EAS maximum at cosmic-ray energies in the range of 1017-1018 eV. The energy dependence of the depth of the EAS maximum was constructed for the case of data from the LOPES array, and the mass composition of cosmic rays was estimated for this case. From the resulting dependences, it follows that the mass composition shows a trend toward becoming lighter in the energy range being considered.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Investigation of the Cosmic Rays Flux Anisotropy at High Energies (10{sup 15}–10{sup 17} eV) by Means of Muon Bundles Registered with the Coordinate-Tracking Detector DECOR

First results of the analysis of cosmic ray anisotropy from muon bundles recorded in the coordinate tracking detector DECOR of the Experimental Complex NEVOD during the 2013–2017 measurement series are discussed. Two event samples differing in the multiplicity of muons, selection conditions, and ranges of the zenith and azimuth angles are analyzed. Estimates of the anisotropy parameters of the flux of primary cosmic rays with energies of 10{sup 1}5–10{sup 1}7 eV are presented.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Cosmic Ray Muons of High and Ultrahigh Energies

Muons are the main component of cosmic rays on the Earth’s surface and underground. The energy spectrum and angular distribution of muons in the atmosphere are related both to the mechanisms of their generation and to the basic characteristics of the primary cosmic rays—their energy spectrum and mass composition. Changes in the muon flux underground are determined by muon energy losses, and its measurements allow muon interaction processes to be studied. The history of extensive cosmic-ray muon investigations covers many decades. A retrospective overview of important directions of cosmic ray muon studies is presented, and analysis of the main experiments and results is given. Special attention is paid to the “muon puzzle”, that is, the muon excess increasing with the energy of primary particles, and to possible ways of solving it.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

MEASUREMENTS OF COSMIC-RAY PROTON AND HELIUM SPECTRA FROM THE BESS-POLAR LONG-DURATION BALLOON FLIGHTS OVER ANTARCTICA

The BESS-Polar Collaboration measured the energy spectra of cosmic-ray protons and helium during two long-duration balloon flights over Antarctica in 2004 December and 2007 December at substantially different levels of solar modulation. Proton and helium spectra probe the origin and propagation history of cosmic rays in the galaxy, and are essential to calculations of the expected spectra of cosmic-ray antiprotons, positrons, and electrons from interactions of primary cosmic-ray nuclei with the interstellar gas, and to calculations of atmospheric muons and neutrinos. We report absolute spectra at the top of the atmosphere for cosmic-ray protons in the kinetic energy range 0.2–160 GeV and helium nuclei in the range 0.15–80 GeV/nucleon. The corresponding magnetic-rigidity ranges are 0.6–160 GV for protons and 1.1–160 GV for helium. These spectra are compared to measurements from previous BESS flights and from ATIC-2, PAMELA, and AMS-02. We also report the ratio of the proton and helium fluxes from 1.1 to 160 GV and compare this to the ratios from PAMELA and AMS-02.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

SPECTRAL INTENSITIES OF ANTIPROTONS AND THE NESTED LEAKY-BOX MODEL FOR COSMIC RAYS IN THE GALAXY

In this paper we note that the spectral intensities of antiprotons observed in Galactic cosmic rays in the energy range ∼1–300 GeV by BESS, PAMELA, and AMS instruments display nearly the same spectral shape as that generated by primary cosmic rays through their interaction with matter in the interstellar medium, without any significant modifications. More importantly, a constant residence time of ∼2.3 ± 0.7 million years in the Galactic volume, independent of the energy of cosmic rays, matches the observed intensities. A small additional component of secondary antiprotons in the energy range below 10 GeV, generated in cocoon-like regions surrounding the cosmic-ray sources, seems to be present. We discuss this result in the context of observations of other secondary components such as positrons and boron, and the bounds on anisotropy of cosmic rays. In the nested leaky-box model the spectral intensities of antiprotons and positrons can be interpreted as secondary products of cosmic-ray interactions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Proton and Helium Spectra from the CREAM-III Flight

Primary cosmic-ray elemental spectra have been measured with the balloon-borne Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass (CREAM) experiment since 2004. The third CREAM payload (CREAM-III) flew for 29 days during the 2007–2008 Antarctic season. Energies of incident particles above 1 TeV are measured with a calorimeter. Individual elements are clearly separated with a charge resolution of ∼0.12 e (in charge units) and ∼0.14 e for protons and helium nuclei, respectively, using two layers of silicon charge detectors. The measured proton and helium energy spectra at the top of the atmosphere are harder than other existing measurements at a few tens of GeV. The relative abundance of protons to helium nuclei is 9.53 ± 0.03 for the range of 1 TeV/n to 63 TeV/n. This ratio is considerably smaller than other measurements at a few tens of GeV/n. The spectra become softer above ∼20 TeV. However, our statistical uncertainties are large at these energies and more data are needed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗