Start Date
28-10-2017 10:30 AM
End Date
28-10-2017 10:45 AM
Abstract
The Regener-Pfotzer (RP) maximum is the altitude at which cosmic radiation intensity is the greatest. A reduction of the altitude of the interaction layer, assumed to be measured by the RP maximum, has been suggested to account for a reduction in the secondary cosmic ray flux measured at the surface of the Earth during a total solar eclipse. To investigate this suggestion, high altitude cosmic radiation was measured using Geiger Mueller (GM) counters carried beneath weather balloons both before and during the total solar eclipse on August 21st, 2017. The pre-eclipse omnidirectional RP maxima occurred at an average altitude of 20.2 km and 20.4 km during the eclipse. The vertical coincidence pre-eclipse RP maxima occurred at an average altitude of 18.3 km and 18.0 km during the eclipse. Our results do not show any reduction in the altitude of neither the omnidirectional nor the vertical coincidence RP maxima outside the range of our observations before the eclipse.
The Regener-Pfotzer Maxima during a Total Solar Eclipse
The Regener-Pfotzer (RP) maximum is the altitude at which cosmic radiation intensity is the greatest. A reduction of the altitude of the interaction layer, assumed to be measured by the RP maximum, has been suggested to account for a reduction in the secondary cosmic ray flux measured at the surface of the Earth during a total solar eclipse. To investigate this suggestion, high altitude cosmic radiation was measured using Geiger Mueller (GM) counters carried beneath weather balloons both before and during the total solar eclipse on August 21st, 2017. The pre-eclipse omnidirectional RP maxima occurred at an average altitude of 20.2 km and 20.4 km during the eclipse. The vertical coincidence pre-eclipse RP maxima occurred at an average altitude of 18.3 km and 18.0 km during the eclipse. Our results do not show any reduction in the altitude of neither the omnidirectional nor the vertical coincidence RP maxima outside the range of our observations before the eclipse.