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Measurements of the distribution in energy and angle of high-energy neutrons in the lower atmosphere

1971; American Geophysical Union; Volume: 76; Issue: 13 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1029/ja076i013p02905

2156-2202

E. Heidbreder, K. Pinkau, C. Reppin, V. Schönfelder,

Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics

The energy and angular distribution of high-energy neutrons in the lower atmosphere were measured at ground level in Munich (970 g/cm2) and at mountain altitude at the Grossglockner (770 g/cm2) by a novel elastic scattering technique. In the energy range from 80 to 300 Mev, the zenith-angle distribution of the measured neutrons can be approximated up to angles of 60° by a function P0 cosm ζ, where m = 3.5 ± 1.2. The results from both heights were combined in order to improve the statistics. The differential vertical neutron flux between 80 and 300 Mev was found to be 1.54×10−3×E−1.5±33% (cm−2 sec−1 Mev−1 ster−1) in Munich and 6.25×10−3×E−1.5±41% (cm−2 sec−1 Mev−1 ster−1) at the Grossglockner. The resulting absorption constant for neutrons in the atmosphere is 150−40 +60 g/cm2.