The energy spectrum of the soft component of cosmic radiation

Abstract

The absorption of the soft (electron) component of cosmic radiation was measured in Pb, Fe and Al with the aid of Scheen's range-energy relation for these materials. For the differential energy spectrum of the form N = N 0 E −s dE , S was calculated for E < 10 8 eV and found to be 1.58 for Al, 1.56 for Fe and 1.50 for Pb. The value for Pb is in perfect agreement with earlier measurements by another method. The absorption spectrum of particles produced in Pb, Fe, Al and paraffin was also investigated, and the energy in these cases calculated. Here the presence was noted of electrons with higher energies than those of the soft radiation in the atmosphere. On account of the small absorption of the producing particles in the producing layers, the most acceptable conjecture seems to be that this production is caused by high energy photons.