Cosmic ray positron and negatron spectra between 20 and 800 MeV measured in 1974

Technical Report · Sun Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975

OSTI ID:7330174

Hartman, R C; Pellerin, C J

A balloon-borne spark-chamber magnetic spectrometer was used to measure separate spectra of positrons and negatrons in two flights during summer, 1974. The total electron flux is about 0.3 m/sup -2/ s/sup -1/ sr/sup -1/ MeV/sup -1/ between 70 and 800 MeV, and increases toward lower energies. The positron spectrum decreases sharply toward lower energies from a value of about 0.08 m/sup -2/ s/sup -1/ sr/sup -1/ MeV/sup -1/ at 650 MeV, and only upper limits are obtained for positrons below 200 MeV. At energies above 180 MeV, the spherically symmetric Fokker--Planck equation provides reasonable fits to both the positron and total electron data. At energies below 180 MeV, the data are consistent with a continuation of the same diffusion coefficient and local source of negatrons, or a change in the diffusion coefficient to a constant value. (auth)

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, Md. (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
• OSTI ID: 7330174
• Report Number(s): N-75-28000; NASA-TM-X-70923; X-662-75-152
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640101* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmic Radiation
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
BETA SPECTRA
COSMIC ELECTRONS
COSMIC POSITRONS
COSMIC RADIATION
COSMIC RAY FLUX
COSMIC RAY PROPAGATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRON SPECTRA
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
ENERGY SPECTRA
EQUATIONS
FERMIONS
FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION
GAS TRACK DETECTORS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC SPECTROMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEV RANGE
MEV RANGE 10-100
MEV RANGE 100-1000
POSITRONS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATIONS
SPARK CHAMBERS
SPECTRA
SPECTROMETERS