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Published January 1948 | Published
Journal Article Open

Recent Studies of the Cosmic-Ray Latitude Effect at High Altitudes

Abstract

With an improved Geiger counter telescope, having an angular aperture of about ±15° from its axis, a series of balloon flights was made in August and September, 1947, at seven stations extending from San Antonio, Texas, to Saskatoon, Canada. The axis of the telescope in all cases was oriented in a vertical direction. All sets of equipment were compared with a standard to reduce all results to a common basis. The standard sets, in turn, were compared with an accurately constructed telescope which had been used to make an absolute determination of cosmic-ray intensity at the vertical in Pasadena. Two flights were made from each of the seven stations. The agreement between flights made within a few hours of each other at a given station is very good. Results from two flights made at a given station several days apart are not in general as consistent. Likewise, no monotonic increase of the radiation with increase of latitude was observed. Evidence is presented for rather large fluctuations at high altitudes of the lower energy components of cosmic rays. Some of the reasons for these fluctuations are discussed.

Additional Information

© 1948 The American Physical Society. We wish to express our thanks to Dr. R. A. Millikan, who accompanied us on this expedition, for his assistance and encouragement during the course of these experiments. The authors also wish to express their appreciation for the welcome given us by the University of Saskatchewan and the help of Professor E. L. Harrington, who was largely responsible for the success of our work in Canada. We gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance of the Carnegie Institution of Washington that made these experiments possible. Our thanks are also due to the U. S. Weather Bureau for supplying us with helium for our balloons, and the individual members of the Bureau, who were of so much assistance at each of the stations in the United States.

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Created:
August 19, 2023
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October 26, 2023