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Bertsch, D. L.

Publications and source records attributed to Bertsch, D. L..

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Short time-scale optical pulsations in the night sky background

A network of monitoring stations designed to detect large scale fluorescence emission in the atmosphere has been in operation for over two years. The motivation for the search arises from the prediction that an energetic photon burst would be produced in a supernova and this burst, when absorbed in the atmosphere, would produce fluorescence. This paper reports on observations up to February 1971. No supernova-like events have been found, although 4.4 were expected. One class of non-fluorescence events is described that evidence suggests is related to electrical discharge in the atmosphere. Another type of non-fluorescence pulse appears to be related to particle precipitation in the atmosphere.

Bertsch, D. L.↗

Charge composition of solar cosmic rays

The composition of energetic solar particles is reviewed for all solar events in which measurements on helium and heavier nuclei have been made simultaneously in the same detector during a given particle event. For nuclei of equal charge-to-mass ratio, the relative abundances have been the same within uncertainties in every measurement, and consistent with spectroscopic photospheric estimates. Iron has a slightly different charge-to-mass ratio but is still of considerable interest. An observation of the Fe/O in the January 24, 1971 solar event has provided a second determination of this value.

Bertsch, D. L.↗