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Detailed Reference Information |
Morris, D.J., Aarts, H., Bennett, K., Lockwood, J.A., McConnell, M.L., Ryan, J.M., Schönfelder, V., Steinle, H. and Peng, X. (1995). Neutron measurements in near-Earth orbit with COMPTEL. Journal of Geophysical Research 100: doi: 10.1029/95JA00475. issn: 0148-0227. |
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The fast neutron flux in near-Earth orbit has been measured with the COMPTEL instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO). For this measurement one of COMPTEL's seven liquid scintillator modules was used as an uncollimated neutron detector with threshold of 12.8 MeV. The measurements cover a range of 4.8 to 15.5 GV in vertical cutoff rigidity and 3¿ to 177¿ in spacecraft geocenter zenith angle. One of the measurements occurred near the minimum of the deepest Forbush decrease ever observed by ground-level neutron monitors. After correction for solar modulation, the total flux is well fitted by separable functions in rigidity and zenith angle. With the spacecraft pointed near the nadir the flux is consistent with balloon measurements of the atmospheric neutron albedo. The flux varies by about a factor of 4 between the extremes of rigidity and a factor of 2 between the extremes of zenith angle. The effect of the spacecraft mass is shielding the detector from the atmsopheric neutron albedo is much more important than its role as a source of additional secondary neutrons. The neutron spectral hardness varies little with rigidity or zenith angle and lies in the range spanned by earlier atmospheric neutron albedo measurements. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1995 |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Interplanetary Physics, Cosmic rays, Interplanetary Physics, Energetic particles, heliospheric, Solar Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy, Energetic particles, Solar Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy, Instruments and techniques |
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Publisher
American Geophysical Union 2000 Florida Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009-1277 USA 1-202-462-6900 1-202-328-0566 service@agu.org |
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