COSMIC RAY NEUTRON STUDIES.

Abstract

This report presents a study of the neutrons generated by the cosmic radiation. A series of balloon flights were made, in which the neutrons in the energy range between one and ten Mevs were measured, throughout the atmosphere. These flights were made from various stations, over a range of latitudes from near equatorial to near polar, and in time over several years. It was found that a large variation with solar activity exists, especially at the near-polar locations where the lowest-energy part of the incoming radiation is observable. The numbers of neutrons going into radiocarbon were calculated for various epochs as were the numbers escaping from the top of the atmosphere. The importance of studying the production of other isotopes including especially beryllium ten is stressed. Various solar acceleration mechanisms were also examined, with especial reference to those which on infrequent occasions inject spectacularly large amounts of radiation into the space surrounding the earth. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1967
Accession Number
AD0668551

Entities

People

  • Rosalind B. Mendell
  • Serge A. Korff
  • William G. Sandie

Organizations

  • New York University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atmospheres
  • Beryllium
  • Cosmic Rays
  • Grids
  • Ionizing Radiation
  • Latitude
  • Production
  • Radiation
  • Solar Activity

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.
  • Theoretical Analysis.

Technology Areas

  • Space