Abstract
A plastic scintillator counter with anticoincidence screen has been flown in two 4-hour balloon flights, at a floating altitude of 3.2 and 3.5 mb, during day-and night-time respectively. Comparison between the day-and night-time counting-rates gives an upper limit of ≈ 10−2n/cm2 sec above 45 MeV for the continuous emission flux.
This upper limit is compared with those derived from other experiments in function of the neutron energy spectrum assumed, and also with the expected continuous emission deduced from solar proton fluxes reported in non-flare conditions. It is concluded that with present experimental techniques, non-flare solar neutron emission can be detected only if the proton fluxes observed represent less than 10−3 of the protons accelerated in the sun.
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This research has been sponsored in part by the ‘Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories’ through the European Office of Aerospace Research, OAR, USAF under contract F 61052-68-C-050.0
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Cortellessa, P., Di Benedetto, P. & Paizis, C. A search for solar neutrons near solar maximum. Sol Phys 14, 427–439 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221329
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221329