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Observation of terrestrial orbital motion using the cosmic-ray Compton–Getting effect

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Abstract

Using underground observations, we have found a small diurnal amplitude modulation of the cosmic-ray muon intensity which agrees in amplitude and phase with a first-order relativistic effect due to the Earth's motion, as discussed by Compton and Getting more than fifty years ago. The parent particles are sufficiently rigid (∼1.5TeV/c) that solar and geomagnetic effects should be minor. The muon flux deep underground is relatively insensitive to near-surface meteorological effects, and temperature effects at production height would produce intensity variations nearly out of phase with the observed effect. Analysis of the arrival times of 5 × 108 muons during a period of 5.4 yr yields a fractional amplitude variation of 2.5+0.7−0.6× 10−4, with a maximum near dawn, at 08:18 ± 1.0 h local mean solar time (LT). The expected amplitude is 3.40 × 10−4, with the maximum at 06:00 LT.

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Author notes

  1. D. J. Cutler

    Present address: Instrumentation Laboratory, North 3939 Freya, Spokane Washington, 99207, USA

  2. D. E. Groom

    Present address: Supercollider Central Design Group, LBL 90-4040, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, USA

    D. J. Cutler & D. E. Groom

  2. Instrumentation Laboratory, North 3939 Freya, Spokane Washington, 99207, USA

    D. E. Groom

  3. Supercollider Central Design Group, LBL 90-4040, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

    D. J. Cutler

Authors
  1. D. J. Cutler
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  2. D. E. Groom
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Cutler, D., Groom, D. Observation of terrestrial orbital motion using the cosmic-ray Compton–Getting effect. Nature 322, 434–436 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/322434a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/322434a0

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