Measurement of the registration temperature effect in BP-1 glass

Abstract

In order to determine its effect on mass measurements and charge measurements for the cosmic-ray experiments ANTIPODE and TREK, I have measured the change in detector response with temperature (the so-called registration temperature effect, or RTE) for BP-1 glass responding to relativistic gold ions and to stopping argon ions. I measure a small but finite RTE for relativistic gold, and conclude that thermal regulation is necessary for the large collector of TREK, which is being exposed outside of the Russian space station Mir. I set a small upper limit for the magnitude of RTE for stopping argon, and conclude that the thermal variations experienced by ANTIPODE in its balloon flight over Antarctica were not large enough to degrade its mass resolution; I further conclude that the thermal variations that we anticipate for the small collector of TREK, which is being exposed inside the Russian space station, will not degrade its mass resolution.