PARTICLE FLUXES IN THE INNER RADIATION BELT

Journal Article · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1960 · J. Geophys. Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JZ065i005p01377· OSTI ID:4183166

Freden, S C; White, R S

Using the albedo neutron decay source, the energy spectrum of trapped protons in the inner belt has been calculated from 10 io 700 Mev. This calculation differs from those of Singer and Hess in that a nuclear interaction term, in addition to the energy loss term, has been used in the continuity equation for the steady-state condition. The spectrum agrees well with the published data. This agreement is strong evidence for the albedo neutron decay source. It also indicates that nonadiabatic losses are small for the particles measured here. A second small stack of nuclear emulsions was flown at the lower edge of the inner radiation belt 11 days after the large solar flare of May 10. 1959. The ratio of the proton flux measured on the second flight to that on the first one is 0.8 plus or minus 0.1, indicating that the solar flare had little or no effect on the proton content of the inner belt. A flux of 2 plus or minus 1 tritons/cm/sup 2/ sec between 126 and 200 Mev was observed; it is attributed to collisions of trapped protons wiih air nuclei. No other nuclei heavier than protons were seen. (auth)

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Livermore
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-14-016154
• OSTI ID: 4183166
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Research, Journal Name: J. Geophys. Research Vol. Vol: 65
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR
ALBEDO
COSMIC RADIATION
DECAY
DISTRIBUTION
ENERGY
ENERGY RANGE
EQUATIONS
INTERACTIONS
LOSSES
MEASURED VALUES
MEV RANGE
NEUTRONS
NUCLEAR EMULSIONS
NUMERICALS
PARTICLE TRACKS
PHYSICS
PROTONS
RADIATION BELTS
REFLECTION
SOLAR FLARES
SUN
TRITONS