Composition of relativistic cosmic rays detected on Gemini XI
Relativistic cosmic rays nuclei abundances from Gemini 11 flight
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Relativistic cosmic rays nuclei abundances from Gemini 11 flight
Calibration of high energy cosmic ray experiment
Transport equations for determining cosmic ray phenomena of galaxy
Solar cosmic ray activity near sunspot maximum, discussing events of 18 November 1968 and 11 April 1969
Cosmic ray transport in random magnetic fields, deriving coupled integrodifferential equations for radiant intensity and flux
Direct observation of cosmic ray kinetic energy losses in interplanetary region by measurements at separated spacecraft
Cosmic ray Li, Be, and B nuclei have been measured using two new detectors, a large-area dE dx-E-Range telescope and a dE dx-Cerenkov-Range telescope. The L/M ratio is found to be 0.23 plus or minus 0.01, essentially constant with energy between 100 MeV/nuc to more than 2 BeV/nuc. Other findings are presented and discussed.
A search for cosmic-ray antiprotons was recently performed with the use of a balloon-borne superconducting-magnet spectrometer. A total of 46 antiproton candidates were observed in the rigidity interval from 5.6 to 12.5 GV/c. Of these events 18.3 are expected to be atmospheric and instrumentation background. The p(-)/p ratio is found to be 0.00052 + or - 0.00015. This ratio is consistent with secondary production of antiprotons in the interstellar medium.
The mass resolution attainable with cosmic ray telescopes employing Cerenkov counters for velocity measurement was examined. It is shown that in most cases, the limiting mass resolution is determined by the resolution of the Cerenkov counter. The resolution achieved in the UNH telescope flown on a balloon in 1977 is studied as a function of charge and energy. This telescope determines the mass using the Cerenkov x total energy technique. It is shown that the mass resolution for heavier nuclei can be accurately predicted using the response of the Cerenkov counter to sea level mu-mesons. The actual in flight resolution for heavier nuclei, including broadening effects, may be predicted using the beta = 1 Cerenkov distributions, and independently by studying the distribution function of the differences of the two banks of photomultipliers employed on each Cerenkov counter.
The propagation of ultraheavy cosmic ray nuclei (Z greater than 30) has been studied using a model based on the leaky-box formalism. This model has been used to examine the possible composition of the source, the path length distribution, and the mean escape length of the confinement region. Various abundance ratios have been found that have a sensitive dependence on one or more of these factors. Comparison of the theoretical values of these ratios with published data suggests that the source composition is similar to that of solar system matter, but that in the Pt-Pb region, enrichment in material produced by the r-process cannot be ruled out. Data for the secondary-to-primary ratio (Ru-44 - Cd-48)/(Sn-50 - Ba-56) show the presence of significantly more secondaries than are predicted, even when a truncated path length distribution is used in the model.
Ultra-high energy cosmic rays have been observed by means of atmospheric fluorescence with the Fly's Eye since 1981. The differential energy spectrum above 0.1 EeV is well fitted by a power law with slope 2.94 + or - 0.02. Some evidence of flattening of the spectrum is observed or energies greater than 10 EeV, however only one event is observed with energy greater than 50 EeV and a spectral cutoff is indicated above 70 EeV.
The cosmic ray radial gradient was determined during 1981-84 using data from very similar detectors onboard spacecraft Voyagers 1 and 2 (radial separation approx. 6 AU, heliolatitude separation approx. 25 deg.) and from the Earth-orbiting satellite IMP 8. The principal result is that the radial gradient over this period decreased at the rate approx. 2.0%/AU between 1 and 16 AU and approx. 0.6%/AU between approx. 16 and 22 AU.
About half of the cosmic ray nuclei heavier than helium have suffered nuclear transformations while colliding with the interstellar gas. The semiempirical calculations developed for calculating the still unmeasured cross sections had errors of about 25-50 per cent, depending on the target mass interval. Recent precise measurements have permitted significant improvements in the calculation of cross sections. Several such improvements are discussed. A status report on work-in-progress is presented on a general modification of the spallation equation parameters.
The transport equation for cosmic rays scattered by magnetic field irregularities carried in a rarefied conducting fluid has been reexamined. To lowest order in the ratio, U/w, of flow speed to random particle speed, the analysis gives the standard equation first derived by Parker (1965), but additional terms are found in the next order of this ratio. One new term, which reflects viscous damping of fluid motions by the energetic-particle gas, describes both a change in the mean particle momentum and a spreading around the mean. Other new terms, which derive from accelerations of the fluid, describe inertial drift and energy changes. Although these effects are small, they are potentially important at shocks, because they are proportional to the square of velocity derivatives. In addition, they can be significant for the case of pure velocity shear, in which the adiabatic energy change is zero.
Galactic cosmic rays (GCR) pose a serious radiation hazard for long-duration missions. In designing a lunar habitat or a Mars transfer vehicle, the radiation exposure determines the GCR shielding thickness, and hence the weight of spacecraft. Using the spherically symmetric diffusion theory of the solar modulation of GCR, and data on the differential energy spectra of H, He, O, and Fe, from 1965 to 1989, it has been shown that (1) the flux is determined by the diffusion parameter which is a function of the time in the solar cycle, and (2) the fluxes in the 1954 and 1976-1977 solar minima were similar and higher than those in 1965. In this paper, we have extended the spherical solar modulation theory back to 1954. The 1954-1955 GCR flux was nearly the same as that from 1976 to 1977; the 1965 flux values were nearly the same as those in 1986. Using this theory we have obtained the GCR spectra for all the nuclei, and calculated the depth dose as a function of Al thickness. It is shown that the shielding required to stay below 0.5 Sv is 17.5 -3/+8 g/sq cm of Al, and 9 -1.5/+5 g/sq cm to stay below 0.6 Sv. The calculated dose equivalent using the ICRP 60 values for quality factors is about 15 percent higher than that calculated using the ICRP 26 value.
A new approach to Cosmic Rays Investigation is proposed. The main idea is to combine two experimental methods (KLEM and UHIS) for the NUCLEON Project. The KLEM (Kinematic Lightweight Energy Meter) method is used for the study of chemical composition and elemental energy spectra of galactic CRs in extremely wide energy range 10(exp 11)-10(exp 15) eV. The UHIS (Ultra Heavy Isotope Spectrometer) method is used for the ultra heavy CR nuclei fluxes registration nuclei beyond the iron peak. Combination of the two techniques will lead not to simple mechanical unification of two instruments in one block, but lead to the creation of a unique instrument, with a number of advantages.
A new approach to Cosmic Rays Investigation is proposed. The main idea is to combine two experimental methods (KLEM and UHIS) for the NUCLEON Project. The KLEM (Kinematic Lightweight Energy Meter) is aimed to study of chemical composition and elemental energy spectra of galactic CRs in extremely wide energy range 10(exp 11) - 10(exp 16) eV. The UHIS (Ultra Heavy Isotope Spectrometer) is suggested to use for the ultra heavy CR nuclei fluxes registration beyond the iron peak. Combination of the two techniques would give a unique instrument, with a number of advantages.