Charge and isotope measurements of heavy cosmic ray nuclei and their role in the determination of the cosmic ray age
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Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Webber, W. R..
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In this analysis of the phase-lag effect we utilize more extensive primary proton and helium spectral data from balloon studies of the University of New Hampshire group, from the Pioneer 8 and 9 spacecraft, and from ground-level monitors during 1965-72. If the rigidity dependence of the diffusion coefficient at earth did not change from 1968-72, then the data imply the nonseparability of the radial and rigidity parts of the diffusion coefficient.
In order to interpret the time history of protons of energy greater than about 13.5 MeV observed on Pioneers 9 and 10 and IMP 5 from the flares of Aug. 2, 4 and 7, the coronal connection longitudes of the interplanetary field lines were estimated using the solar wind velocities measured on the spacecraft. There is reasonable agreement between the observed magnetic field polarity at Pioneer 9 and the equatorial chromospheric polarity at the inferred connection longitudes. The protons appear to be released preferentially in a large magnetic neutral-line complex that surrounds the flare region (McMath 11976) from Carrington longitudes 0 to 60. Although impulsive proton events were observed from all three flares by Pioneer 9, only the second two were seen at earth, and Pioneer 10 never showed comparable impulsive response. These apparent discrepancies are resolved by comparison with magnetic neutral line structure.
Recent measurements using a cosmic ray telescope on the Pioneer 10 spacecraft have revealed an anomalous spectrum of nitrogen and oxygen nuclei relative to other nuclei such as He and C, in the energy range 3-30 MeV/nuc. The intensity of nitrogen and oxygen nuclei is enhanced by a factor of up to 20 relative to their abundance in galactic or solar cosmic rays.
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Using a balloon borne double dE/dx total energy telescope, we have determined the isotopic composition of cosmic ray Li, Be and B nuclei in the energy range 100-250 MeV/nuc. The measured mass resolution for these nuclei is about 0.3 AMU. The observed isotopic composition is in agreement with that predicted on the basis of interstellar fragmentation with the exception of a deficiency of Be-10. If the low abundance of Be-10 is attributed to the decay of this radioactive isotope, we obtain a mean cosmic ray lifetime of 3.4 (plus 3.4 or minus 1.3) m.y.
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The cosmic-ray experiment on Pioneer has provided measurements of the differential radial gradient of cosmic-ray helium nuclei between 1 and 3 AU. Upper limits are quoted between 10 and 500 MeV/nuc which are everywhere 25%/AU and in some cases substantially smaller. The integral proton gradient ( 56 MeV) was also measured and found to have the following values: 2.4 + or - 0.3%/AU (1-2 AU), 7.6 + or - 0.7%/AU (2-3 AU).
We report measurements of the radial interplanetary cosmic ray gradient made with cosmic ray instruments aboard the Pioneer 8 and 9 spacecraft. The time period covered in these studies is from January 1968 to June 1969. During this time, the radial separation of these two spacecraft varied from 0.75 to 1.10 AU from the sun. This study includes detailed measurements of the differential spectra and gradients of protons and helium nuclei from 2 to 1200 Mev/nucleon. The differential gradient for each species is observed to go through a broad maximum of about 50%/AU at energies corresponding to about 1 BV rigidity, decreasing at both lower and higher rigidities. The proton and helium nuclei gradients are small down to the lowest energies we measure.-
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Comparison of the intensities of He, C + O, and Fe + Ni cosmic ray nuclei as measured on balloon flights in Canada and Argentina at several energy levels between about 1 and 50 GeV per nucleon. A re-analysis of previous data and those of Juliusson et al. (1972) and Smith et al. (in the press) is carried out. The differences in the spectra of these nuclei are discussed.
In the summer of 1971 new measurements were made of the primary electron spectrum from 1 to 20 GeV with an electron spectrometer telescope at Fort Churchill. This telescope has been calibrated by using electrons and pions of 0.5 to 15 GeV at the Stanford Linear Accelerator in early 1971 and again in 1972. The calibration results suggest that the events observed are due to interactions of high-energy protons. The measured primary electron spectrum is uncomfortably close to that calculated for secondary electrons produced by the interaction of cosmic ray nuclei with interstellar hydrogen in the Galaxy, and therefore the question of the origin of the high-energy electrons is reopened. The problem of the age of cosmic ray electrons must also be reexamined if the measured spectrum is found to extend to still higher energies.
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The functional form of the modulation for the 11-year variation changed abruptly after the Forbush decrease of June 8, 1969. This change in the 11-year modulation suggests that this Forbush decrease was an integral part of the 11-year variation. Some details of the change as observed by neutron monitors and by spacecraft at low energies are discussed.
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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.
Low energy cosmic ray H 2 and He 3 nuclei intensities /1967-1968/ from Pioneer 8 and IMP 4 measurements
Galactic cosmic ray proton and He nuclei spectra measurements aboard Pioneer 8 spacecraft over large energy range, considering solar modulation parameters