GEOMAGNETICALLY TRAPPED ELECTRONS FROM COSMIC RAY ALBEDO NEUTRONS
Abstract
The ability of the cosmic ray neutron albedo echanism to account for geomagnetically trapped electrons is investigated quantitatively. Injection as a function of energy, pitch angle and altitude is computed from a reasonable neutron albedo model. Loss mechanisms based on Coulomb interactions with the residual atmosphere are considered to act both independently and simultaneously. Slowing down is generally dominant. The electron belt which results has (a) an intensity whose energy spectrum shows a sharp peak at approximately 200 kev, (b) an angular distribution which is approximately isotropic up to the loss cone and (c) an omnine which is pproximately constant vs. altitude. The effect of the Capetown magnetic anomaly is shown to produce a slot of only 2% in the equat rial plane. Only a small fraction of the trapped electrons can be accounted for in terms of neutron albedo, essentially all trapped electrons exceeding 400 kev. An auroral component of low energy electrons is also present. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0258738
Entities
People
- A.m. Lenchek
- R.c. Wentworth
- S.f. Singer
Organizations
- University of Maryland