The ground-based large-area wide-angle γ-ray and cosmic-ray experiment HiSCORE

The question of the origin of cosmic rays and other questions of astroparticle and particle physics can be addressed with indirect air-shower observations above 10 TeV primary energy. We propose to explore the cosmic ray and γ-ray sky (accelerator sky) in the energy range from 10 TeV to 1 EeV with the new ground-based large-area wide angle (ΔΩ ∼ 0.85 sterad) air-shower detector HiSCORE (Hundred^∗i Square-km Cosmic ORigin Explorer). The HiSCORE detector is based on non-imaging air-shower Cherenkov light-front sampling using an array of light-collecting stations. A full detector simulation and basic reconstruction algorithms have been used to assess the performance of HiSCORE. First prototype studies for different hardware components of the detector array have been carried out. The resulting sensitivity of HiSCORE to γ-rays will be comparable to CTA at 50 TeV and will extend the sensitive energy range for γ-rays up to the PeV regime. HiSCORE will also be sensitive to charged cosmic rays between 100 TeV and 1 EeV.     

Calculation of the barometric coefficients at the start of the 24th solar activity cycle for particle detectors of Aragats Space Environmental Center

After the major modernization of the data acquisition electronics of the particle detectors operated at Aragats Space Environmental Center (ASEC) calculations of the barometric coefficients of all the monitors were performed in the beginning of the 24th solar activity cycle. The barometric coefficients of particle detectors located at altitudes of 1000 m, 2000 m and 3200 m a.s.l. measuring various secondary cosmic ray fluxes were compared with theoretical expectations and monitors operated on different longitudes and latitudes. The barometric coefficients were also calculated for the several neutron monitors of recently established Eurasian database (NMDB) and SEVAN particle detector networks. The latitude and altitude dependencies of the barometric coefficients were investigated, as well as the dependence of coefficients on energy of the primary particles.     

Solar, geomagnetic and cosmic ray intensity changes, preceding the cyclone appearances around Mexico

Recently it has been suggested that there exist specific changes in the cosmic ray intensity and some solar and geomagnetic parameters during the days, preceding the hurricane appearances over the North Atlantic Ocean. To understand better these phenomena, data for all hurricanes born not only over the Atlantic but also over the Pacific waters in the last 55 years that hit the Mexican borders were elaborated. As basic hurricane parameters the maximum rotational velocity and the estimated total energy were used. To avoid any interference all hurricanes, overlapping the preceding ones with more than 20 days were not included. Then the behavior of the cosmic ray (CR) intensity, the sunspot (SS) numbers, and the geomagnetic parameters (AP) and (KP) in 35 days prior and 20 days after the cyclone start were investigated. The CR, SS, AP and KP showed much more intensive disturbances in the periods preceding and following the hurricane appearance. For SS this disturbance gradually increase with the hurricane strength. A characteristic peak in the CR intensity appears before the hurricane start. But its place varies between 5 and 20 days before that start. Specific changes were observed in the SS. For major hurricanes they begins sometimes more than 20 days in advance. The AP and the KP show series of bursts, spread over the whole period of 30 preceding days. The obtained results from the performed correlational analysis are enough interesting to motivate a further statistical analysis with more precise techniques: in particular a common periodicity of 30 years found in the number of tropical storms landing into Mexico, the averaged rotational wind velocity and the ACE must be studied in connection with the solar Hale cycle. Using coherence wavelet spectral analysis we present a comparative study between one terrestrial and one cosmophysical phenomena that presumable influence hurricanes development: African dust outbreaks versus cosmic rays for all North Atlantic tropical cyclones. It is shown that the cosmophysical influence cannot be considered as a negligible effect.     

Cosmic ray flux at the Earth in a variable heliosphere

In recent years the variability of the cosmic ray flux has become one of the main issues not only for the interpretation of the abundances of cosmogenic isotopes in cosmochronic archives like, e.g., ice cores, but also for its potential impact on the terrestrial climate. It has been re-emphasized that the cosmic ray flux is not only varying due to the solar activity-induced changes of the solar wind but also in response to the changing state of the interstellar medium surrounding the heliosphere. We demonstrate the significance of these external boundary condition changes along the galactic orbit of the Sun for the flux as well as spectra of cosmic rays. Such interstellar–terrestrial relations are a major topic of the International Heliophysical Year 2007.     

Estimation of Galactic Cosmic Ray exposure inside and outside the Earth’s magnetosphere during the recent solar minimum between solar cycles 23 and 24

The evidently low solar activity observed between solar cycles 23 and 24 during the years 2008–2010 led to a substantial increase in the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) intensity in comparison with preceding solar minima. As the GCRs consist of highly-ionizing charged particles having the potential to cause biological damage, they are a subject of concern for manned missions to space. With the enhanced particle fluxes observed between 2008 and 2010, it is reasonable to assume that the radiation exposure from GCR must have also increased to unusually high levels. In this paper, the GCR exposure outside and inside the Earth’s magnetosphere is numerically calculated for time periods starting from 1970 to the end of 2011 in order to investigate the increase in dose levels during the years 2008–2010 in comparison with the last three solar minima. The dose rates were calculated in a water sphere, used as a surrogate for the human body, either unshielded or surrounded by aluminium shielding of 0.3, 10 or 40 g/cm².     

光线跟踪的最佳期望时间搜索算法

 在计算机图形显示学中,采用光线跟踪(ray tracing)算法能够生成质量很高的、非常逼真的图象,但机时花费太高。据统计,在光线跟踪算法中花费在搜索与光线相交的物体及计算出交点所用的时间大约占75％。本文提出一种用于光线跟踪的与始点无关的搜索算法。此算法不管光线在物空间的始点位置如何,都能生成精确的图象,因此具有通用性;此算法将物空间适当地划分为小立方体,通过只检测光线路径上的立方体,以实现最佳期望时间搜索,所以具有最佳期望时间的复杂性。     

CME-geometry and cosmic-ray anisotropy observed by a prototype muon detector network

We analyze the cosmic-ray anisotropy observed by a prototype network of muon detectors during geomagnetic storms associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The network currently consists of multidirectional surface muon detectors at Nagoya (Japan) and Hobart (Australia), together with a prototype detector at São Martinho (Brazil) which has been in operation since March, 2001. In this report, we analyze the anisotropy recorded in both the muon detector and neutron monitor (the Spaceship Earth) networks and find significant enhancements of cosmic-ray anisotropy during geomagnetic storms. Following the analysis by Bieber and Evenson [Bieber, J.W., Evenson, P. CME geometry in relation to cosmic ray anisotropy. Geophys. Res. Lett. 25 (1998) 2955–2958] for the neutron monitor data at 10 GeV, we also derive cosmic-ray density gradients from muon data at higher-energy (50 GeV), possibly reflecting the larger-scale geometry of CMEs causing geomagnetic storms. We particularly find in some events the anisotropy enhancement clearly starting prior to the storm onset in both the muon and neutron data. This is the first result of the CME-geometry derived from simultaneous observations of the anisotropy with networks of multidirectional muon detectors and neutron monitors.     

Optical search for gamma-ray bursts

The preliminary results from optical search for light pulses associated with gamma ray bursts by means of the Czechoslovak Fireball Network plate collection at the Ondřejov observatory are given. Optical monitoring represents more than 7700 hours, but no real optical counterpart was found. Problems associated with the optical search for gamma ray bursts are discussed.     

太阳宇宙线在电离层D层中的电离

本文根据带电粒子对D层大气电离的理论,导出了太阳宇宙线在D层的电子产生率Q(h)的表达式,并计算了不同级别的太阳宇宙线事件、不同能谱参数下,Q(h)在极区随高度的分布。结果表明,不同级别、不同能谱的太阳宇宙线事件在极区产生的电离有显著的差别。同一级别,能谱指数γ越大,在较高的高度上电子产生率越大;能谱指数越小,在较低的高度上电子产生率越大。电子产生率的分布曲线出现明显的双峰,一个峰位于60公里左右,另一个峰位于85公里左右。前一个峰主要由太阳宇宙线中质子产生的,后一个峰主要是z≥2的重粒子成分产生的。本文所得结果明显好于Velinov等人的结果。      

机载曳光弹的紫外产生机理

立足于现有装备的基础上,大力发展经济,可靠,方便的紫外干扰技术,对我军而言不啻是一种我服的有效手段,在原子物理学理论指导下,本文详细地介绍了产生紫外线光谱重要的一环,原子材料紫外光谱的产生方法,文章的末尾还给出了实验的结果。