Energetic dependence of the mean free path for scattering of cosmic rays.
Abstract
Data on the energy dependence of the size of the region of particle diffusion propagation (r0) and the transport scattering mean free path (Lambda) for the solar cosmic ray burst 1. IX 1971, obtained by global detectors aboard Cosmos 426, Explorer 41, and OV5-6 in the energy range from 2 MeV to 2 GeV and by directional detectors aboard Mars 2 in the energy range above 1-10 MeV, are shown. It is seen that r0 weakly but monotonically increases with energy, remaining within the limits of 1.6 to 2.2 a.e. The transport mean free path, however, displays a minimum of about 0.04 a.e. in the range 30 to 300 MeV. Similar data for two other bursts confirm that the data for the burst 1. IX 1971 are typical. This suggests that an anomaly in the cosmic ray spectrum may be formed as a result of the more effective interaction with magnetic inhomogeneities of particles of those energies for which transport mean free path was a minimum.
- Publication:
-
Geomagnetism and Aeronomy
- Pub Date:
- December 1975
- Bibcode:
- 1975Ge&Ae..15.1083G
- Keywords:
-
- Interplanetary Medium;
- Particle Diffusion;
- Proton Scattering;
- Solar Cosmic Rays;
- Solar Protons;
- Energy Spectra;
- Mean Free Path;
- Satellite Observation;
- Transport Properties