Modelling of low-energy galactic electrons in the heliosheath

The modulation of cosmic ray electrons in the heliosphere plays an important role in improving our understanding and assessment of the processes applicable to low-energy galactic electrons. A full three-dimensional numerical model based on Parker’s transport equation is used to study the modulation of 10 MeV galactic electrons, in particular inside the heliosheath. The emphasis is placed on the role that perpendicular diffusion plays in causing the extraordinary large increase in the observed intensities of these electrons in the heliosheath. The modelling is compared with observations of 6–14 MeV electrons from the Voyager 1 mission. Results are shown for the radial intensity profiles of these electrons, as well as the modulation effects of varying the extent of the heliosheath by changing the location of the termination shock and the heliopause and the value of the local interstellar spectrum. We confirm that the heliosheath acts as a modulation ‘barrier’ for low-energy galactic electrons. The significance of this result depends on how wide the inner heliosheath is; on how high the very local interstellar spectrum is at these low energies (E < 100 MeV) and on how small perpendicular diffusion is inside the inner heliosheath.     

Temperature effects in the ATIC BGO calorimeter

The Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) Balloon Experiment had a successful test flight and a science flight in 2000–01 and 2002–03 and an unsuccessful launch in 2005–06 from McMurdo, Antarctica, returning 16 and 19 days of flight data. ATIC is designed to measure the spectra of cosmic rays (protons to iron). The instrument is composed of a Silicon matrix detector followed by a carbon target interleaved with scintillator tracking layers and a segmented BGO calorimeter composed of 320 individual crystals totaling 18 radiation lengths to determine the particle energy. BGO (Bismuth Germanate) is an inorganic scintillation crystal and its light output depends not only on the energy deposited by particles but also on the temperature of the crystal. The temperature of balloon instruments during flight is not constant due to sun angle variations as well as differences in albedo from the ground. The change in output for a given energy deposit in the crystals in response to temperature variations was determined.     

宇宙噪声的电离层闪烁

本文给出了薄相屏近似条件下的电离层闪烁Fourier功率谱和Bessel功率谱与电离层不均匀结构电子密度涨落空间谱之间的关系。对窄波瓣天线Riometer获得的宇宙噪声资料进行了分析,结果表明:宇宙噪声资料包含着电离层不均匀结构的信息。Riometer观测结果也可用于电离层闪烁问题的研究。     

Differences between gamma-ray and hadronic showers

Cosmic gamma-ray ray sources may be sought if high-energy gamma-rays may be detected without confusion from the very intense isotropic background of hadronic cosmic rays. Ground-based methods are needed at energies above tens of GeV, using air showers, and at energies below tens of TeV, the detection of muons in showers is not the most efficient way to reject hadronic showers. The shape and orientation of erenkov images can reject far more than 99% of the background. The way in which erenkov radiation is distributed in showers is discussed, and the possibilities of using image shape, distribution of light on the ground, time profile, spectrum and polarization of the light are briefly discussed. Imaging alone appears to be the most powerful. Simulations suggest that the uv content of the light should not be a useful diagnostic.     

第一和第二宇宙速度的诠释

讨论了第一和第二宇宙速度的含义,澄清了与这两个速度有关的一些模糊认识。     

太阳活动区R9077引起的强烈吸收事件

利用南极中山站的观测数据分析了太阳活动区R9077所引起的强烈吸收事件，其中2000年7月14日的太阳质子事件引起了持续3天多强烈的极盖吸收，同时，激烈的太阳活动使磁层处于极度扰动状态，磁层高能粒子沉降使许多持续时间较短的吸收峰叠加在极盖吸收背景之上，最突出的是7月1日的吸收增强事件，其最大值达26dB。这是自1997年2月中山站安装成像式宇宙噪声接收机以来观测到的最强的吸收，另一个较突出的吸收峰发生在14日1753UT前后，本文还讨论了产生这些吸收的原由。     

Delineation of possible influence of solar variability and galactic cosmic rays on terrestrial climate parameters

The present paper has investigated the associations of solar activity (SA), represented by total solar irradiance (TSI), galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and terrestrial climate parameters in particular the global cloudiness and global surface temperature. To that end, we have analysed thirty five years (1983–2018) data of these parameters and have applied the Granger-causality test in order to assess whether there is any potential predictability power of one indicator to the other. The correlations among the involved parameters are tested using Vector Auto Regression (VAR) model and variance decomposition method. As a result of the above analysis, we have found that the TSI is an important factor and has contributed about 8.77 ± 0.42% in the cosmic ray intensity variations. In case of cloud cover variations, the other three parameters (TSI, cosmic ray and global surface temperature) have played a significant role. Further, the TSI changes have contributed 1.68 ± 0.03% fluctuations in the variance of the cloud cover while the cosmic ray intensity and global surface temperature have contributed about 4.89 ± 0.08% and 10.87 ± 1.41% respectively. In case of the global surface temperature anomaly both TSI and cloud covers have contributed about 5.07 ± 0.47% and 14.42 ± 2.13% fluctuations respectively. Additionally, we have also assessed the impact of internal climate oscillations like multivariate ENSO index (MEI), north Atlantic oscillations (NAO) and quasi biennial oscillations (QBO) on cloud cover variations. The contribution of these internal oscillations e.g. ENSO, NAO and QBO in cloud cover variation were reported as 7.48 ± 1.02%, 5.51 ± 0.16% and 1.36 ± 0.43% respectively.     

Ionospheric differential error determination using ray tracing for a short baseline

Since the United States government discontinued Selective Availability (SA) on 1 May 2000, ionospheric effects have been responsible for the largest errors in GPS systems. The standard Differential GPS (DGPS) method is incapable of completely eliminating the ionospheric error. This paper describes a new approach to determine the differential ionospheric error between geographically distributed receiver stations. The ray paths of GPS signals were simulated using a modified Jones 3D ray tracing programme that includes the effect of the geomagnetic field. A Nelder–Mead optimisation algorithm was embedded in the program to precisely determine the satellite-to-station path. A realistic ionospheric model is essential for accurate ray tracing results and for estimates of differential error that are accurate on sub-centimetre scales. Here, the ionospheric model used in the ray tracing programme was developed by fitting realistic ionosphere profiles with a number of exponential functions. Results were compared to the theoretical approach. Results show that the differential delay is about 1–5 cm at low elevation angles for a short baseline of 10 km, as reported in other literature. This delay is often neglected in DGPS application. The differential delay also shows a pattern similar to that predicted by the Klobuchar model. The method proposed here can be used to improve future GPS applications.     

Manned exploration and exploitation of solar system: Passive and active shielding for protecting astronauts from ionizing radiation—A short overview

In deep space manned missions for the exploration and exploitation of celestial bodies of Solar System astronauts are not shielded by the terrestrial magnetic field and must be protected against the action of Solar Cosmic Rays (SCRs) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs). SCRs are sporadically emitted, and in very rare but possible events, their fluence can be so high to be lethal to a unprotected crew. Their relatively low energy allows us to conceive fully passive shields, also if active systems can somewhat reduce the needed mass penalty. GCRs continuously flow without intensity peaks, and are dangerous to the health and operability of the crew in long duration (>1year) missions. Their very high energy excludes the possible use of passive systems, so that recourse must be made to electromagnetic fields for preventing ionizing particles to reach the habitat where astronauts spend most of their living and working time. A short overview is presented of the many ideas developed in last decades of last century; ideas are mainly based on very intense electrostatic shields, flowing plasma bubbles, or enormous superconducting coil systems for producing high magnetic fields. In the first decade of this century the problem began to be afforded in more realistic scenarios, taking into account the present and foreseeable possibilities of launchers (payload mass, diameter and length of the shroud of the rocket, etc.) and of assembling and/or inflating structures in space. Driving parameters are the volume of the habitat to be protected and the level of mitigation of the radiation dose to be guaranteed to the crew. Superconducting magnet systems based on multi-solenoid complexes or on one huge magnetic torus surrounding the habitat are being evaluated for defining the needed parameters: masses, mechanical structures for supporting the huge magnetic forces, needed equipments and safety systems. Technological tests are in preparation or planned for improving density of the current, lightness and stability, to increase working temperature of superconducting cables, and for finding light supporting structures and suitable safety architectures, delineating a possible development program for affording this difficult problem.     

Mid 19th century minimum of galactic cosmic ray flux inferred from Ti in Allegan meteorite

Measurements of ⁴⁴Ti activity in meteorites show that the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity has been declining in the interplanetary space during the past three centuries and has a component of cyclic variation, with periodicity of about 87 years [Taricco, C., Bhandari, N., Cane, D., et al. Galactic cosmic ray flux decline and periodicities in the interplanetary space during the last 3 centuries revealed by ⁴⁴Ti in meteorites. J. Geophys. Res. 111, A08102, 2006.]. In order to verify these results, we have measured ⁴⁴Ti activity in Allegan meteorite which fell in 1899 and in some other meteorites with better precision. The measurements confirm low cosmic ray flux and consequently high solar activity near the middle of 19th century.