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A bremsstrahlung-identification technique for cosmic-ray electrons and positrons

1974; Elsevier BV; Volume: 122; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0029-554x(74)90529-1

1878-3759

A. Buffington, C. D. Orth, George F. Smoot,

Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena

We introduce a new technique to separate energetic e+ and e− from a background of other particles. The technique utilizes a selective trigger, radiation of bremsstrahlung photons by incident e±, magnetic deflection of the e± after photon emission, and the separate detection of both the e± and the photons in a shower detector. Descriptions are given of a balloon-borne apparatus using this technique for cosmic-ray e± spectral measurements in the energy range from 5 to 50 GeV. Calibrations of the apparatus at particle accelerators and the method of flight data analysis are also described. Our balloon-borne apparatus provides an efficiency of about 50% for the detection of e± and a proton rejection of about 10−5.