A Scintillation Countner Telescope for Charge and Mass Identification of Primary Cosmic Rays

Abstract

A cosmic ray telescope has been developed to study the charge and energy spectra of primary cosmic radiation. The two major objectives of this program are: 1. A determination of the amount of interstellar material through which primary cosmic rays have passed between their source and the vicinity of the earth. This amount of material can be deduced from the shape of the low energy spectra of the primary nuclei helium to oxygen measured at solar minimum. 2. A study of the rigidity dependences on the various forms of modulations of hydrogen and helium nuclei. A secondary objective is a study of the charge and energy spectra of cosmic rays produced by the sun.-- The telescope is a combination of scintillators giving both the energy of a charged particle and its rate of energy loss, (dE/dx). This technique has been used extensively in the field of medium-energy nuclear physics and for studying the charge spectra of light fission fragments. A prototype detector was flown in balloons for a series of cosmic ray measurements in July 1961. Excellent charge and energy resolutions were obtained for electrons, protons and alpha particles late in the large cosmic ray event of July 1961. It is planned to fly a satellite version of the instrment on the first NASA Orbiting Geophysical Observatory. This report covers both the data obtained from balloon flights and the proposed satellite instrumentation.