Accession Number:

AD0265299

Title:

INVESTIGATION OF THE HEAVY COMPONENT OF THE PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

MARTIN CO BALTIMORE MD RESEARCH INST FOR ADVANCED STUDIES

Personal Author(s):

• WITTEN,L.
• HANSON,H.

Report Date:

1961-06-01

Pagination or Media Count:

1.0

Abstract:

Two detectors were flown by balloons which can detect relativistic heavy charged particles and discriminate charges over a range from Z equals 4 to Z greater than or equal to 30. The detectors are argon-filled, double ionization chambers whose two halves are separated by a beryllium absorber. Relativistic charged particles will be little affected by the absorber and if they pass through equal lengths of the two chambers will produce pulses of equal heights. Non-relativistic particles will produce pulses of unequal heights. Hence the pulses caused by relativistic charged particles can be electronically singled out by obvious coincidence and difference techniques. The charge of the particle can then be determined from a measure of the pulse height. Such a system lends itself immediately to two functions. Kept aloft in a balloon for a period of days, it can measure the particle spectrum and diurnal variation of the flux of primary heavy cosmic radiation. In a satellite it can operate even in the intense radiation belts surrounding the earth. Author

Descriptors:

• *COSMIC RAYS
• *TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
• ALPHA PARTICLES
• ATOMIC PROPERTIES
• BALLOONS
• DETECTORS
• EXTRATERRESTRIAL RADIO WAVES
• FLIGHT TESTING
• IONIZATION
• PREAMPLIFIERS
• PULSE GENERATORS
• VOLTAGE AMPLIFIERS

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE