Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Publication Date

5-7-1975

Abstract

Proton data outside of the South Atlantic Radiation anomaly (in the regions where hmin < 0) from the University of New Mexico High Energy Neutron and Proton Detector aboard OSO-6 satellite were analyzed in the present work. The detector was useful in the energy range from 75-145 Mev and the data were obtained during the period from August 1969 to January 1971. The altitude of the satellite varied from about 480 Km to 580 Km. Since the observed proton flux resulted from different source mechanisms a procedure was developed that allowed us to compute and separate the contributions made by different mechanisms in the observed protons. New evidence was derived from the study of the Down-Up asymmetry both along the field direction and the zenith of the look direction (ZAP angle) which substantiated the hypothesis that either one or both of the processes of the radial and the pitch angle diffusion play active roles in the origin and the distributions of the protons in the inner radiation belt. It was argued that processes drive the trapped protons in the radiation belt into the regions where stable trapping is not possible and thus contribute to the observed protons in these regions. We were further able to compute the total diffusing flux; however, it was assumed that both the Splash and the Re-entrant albedo proton fluxes were equal. Since this assumption was not very accurate, an incorrect estimation of the diffusing proton flux might have resulted. In addition to the above, the flux and the energy spectrum of the albedo protons were derived at three different regions. These were then compared with the results of other investigators. Discrepencies in both the flux and the energy spectrum were observed. Our flux value of 1.05 protons/m2 -sec-ster-Mev for the Re-entrant albedo at an energy of 85 Mev in the region where L = 2.5 was about a factor of two and a half higher than estimated by Ray (1967). No west-east asymmetry was observed in the true proton flux (proton flux obtained by subtracting the background contamination from the observed proton flux), within the limits of the experimental error. Since such an asymmetry was expected if we assume that the albedo protons alone constitute the true protons, it was concluded that additional mechanisms must be involved and that they dilute the above mentioned expected asymmetry. The studies of the pitch angle distributions, the variation of the diffusing and the albedo proton fluxes with the L values, the Day-Night variations and the altitude variation of the observed proton flux were also carried out in this work.

Degree Name

Physics

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Physics & Astronomy

First Committee Member (Chair)

Christopher Pratt Leavitt

Second Committee Member

David Solomon King

Third Committee Member

Victor H. Regener

Project Sponsors

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration under contract NAS5-9275

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

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