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HIGH ALTITUDE NEUTRON INTENSITY DIURNAL VARIATION

Journal Article · · Physical Review (U.S.) Superseded in part by Phys. Rev. A, Phys. Rev. B: Solid State, Phys. Rev. C, and Phys. Rev. D
Two balloon flights in which boron-trifluoride neutron counters were carried aloft were launched from Brownwood. Texas, during September 1958. The flights attained altitudes of 86,000 and 79,000 feet at a conventional geomagnetic latitade of 41 deg N. They showed that the slowneutron intensities in the atmosphere had decreased by about 12% since the time of minimum solar activity in 1954. They also show that this decrease was mainly in the low-energy end of the spectrum, as the mean free path for absorption had increased from 180 plus or minus 25 g/cm/sup 2/ to 240 plus or minus 30 g/cm/sup 2/. A high- altitude decrease apparently associated with the geomagnetic storm of September 25, 1958 was detected. After achieving altitude, the balloons floated at a constant elevation through sunset. A sharp peak in the intensity which occurs just before sunset at balloon altitudes was detected on both flights. The origin of this phenomenon, which results in a doubling of the intensity for about 25 minutes, is unexplained, although some possible mechanisms are discussed. (auth)
Research Organization:
New York Univ.
NSA Number:
NSA-14-008883
OSTI ID:
4187958
Journal Information:
Physical Review (U.S.) Superseded in part by Phys. Rev. A, Phys. Rev. B: Solid State, Phys. Rev. C, and Phys. Rev. D, Journal Name: Physical Review (U.S.) Superseded in part by Phys. Rev. A, Phys. Rev. B: Solid State, Phys. Rev. C, and Phys. Rev. D Vol. Vol: 116; ISSN PHRVA
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English

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