Vertical Cutoff Rigidity and the Intensity Distribution of Cosmic Rays near Cape Town.

• Main Authors: Koenig ,P J, Walt,A J V D, Stoker,P H, Raubenheimer,B C, Shea,M A
• Other Authors: AIR FORCE GEOPHYSICS LAB HANSCOM AFB MASS
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1977
• Subjects: Atmospheric Physics; *COSMIC RAYS; GEOMAGNETISM; DISTRIBUTION; ENERGY; VERTICAL ORIENTATION; SOUTH AFRICA; MAGNETOSPHERE; MAGNETIC ANOMALIES; MAGNETIC FORCES; VAN ALLEN RADIATION BELT; SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; WUAFGL2311G101; PE61102F; South Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA043967; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA043967

A fairly sharp increase of 2.3% in the intensity of the nucleonic component of cosmic rays was observed at 30,000 feet pressure altitude along a contour of CONSTANT CALCULATED VERTICAL CUTOFF RIGIDITY ON A RESEARCH FLIGHT FROM Cape Town, South Africa, at 18 E longitude, to a point 2 W longitude. The increase seems to be an inherent feature of this region near the South Atlantic geomagnetic anomaly. Detailed cutoff rigidity calculations in vertical and inclined directions revealed that the observed increase may at least partly be ascribed to variation in effective cutoff rigidities along the route. However, the increase could also be attributed, at least as far as morphology is concerned, to the continuous precipitation in a restricted area of those high energy inner radiation belt protons that have short live-times. (Author) Presented at the International Cosmic Ray Conference (15th).