PROTONS IN THE OUTER ZONE OF THE RADIATION BELT
Abstract
Measurements on the trapped protons in the outer zone of the Van Allen radiation belt were made on October 4, 1960, from a Scout rocket payload containing a two-crystal scintillation spectrometer. Protons with energies above 1 mev were detected, with the intensity rising above background at an altitude of 1,200 km. Representative intensities for 1 less than or equal to Ep less than or equal to 80 mev at 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 km, through a range of 37 deg N to 30 deg N geomagnetic titudes, were 0.27, 0.90, 2.02, and 4.56 x 10 to the 5th power protons/sq cm-sec-ster. These intensities are averages for protons with pitch angles lying between 90 deg and approximately 60 deg. The proton energy spectrum at 5,000 km is J(E) = 2.0 x 10 to the 6th power E to the minus 5.2 protons/sq cmsec-ster-mev for 1.02 less than or equal to Ep less than or equal to 2.24 mev, and J(E) = 0.71 x 10 to the 6th power E to the minus 3.9 for 2.24 less than or equal to Ep less than or equal to 7.3 mev. The pitch angle distributions for altitudes of 4,600 km and 5,150 km were also obtained for angles between 90 and 58 deg. There was no evidence of a proton intensity maximum coincident with the E2 maximum.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0287882
Entities
People
- J.d. Conner
- S.j. Bame
Organizations
- Air Force Special Weapons Center