Skip to main content
Log in

On cosmic-ray cut-off terminology

  • Published:
Il Nuovo Cimento C

Summary

The study of cosmic-ray access to locations within the geomagnetic field has evolved over the past fifty years. Cosmic-ray cut-off terminology, originally developed to describe particle access and cut-off rigidities, has not evolved with the scientific advances in the field, and misunderstandings and misapplications of historical work have occurred. This paper is an attempt to remedy this situation by clarifying the areas in which changes have occurred and by providing a cross reference between the historical terms and those terms now in use for innovative cosmic-ray studies which are underway in several laboratories.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. C. Störmer:Z. Astrophys.,1, 237 (1930).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. L. Bouckaert:Ann. Soc. Sci. Bruxelles, Ser. A,54, 174 (1934).

    Google Scholar 

  3. G. Lemaitre, M. S. Vallarta andL. Bouckaert:Phys. Rev.,47, 434 (1935).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. G. Lemaitre andM. S. Vallarta:Phys. Rev.,49, 719 (1936).

    Article  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. G. Lemaitre andM. S. Vallarta:Phys. Rev.,50, 493 (1936).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. A. Mondragón andD. Barnés (Editors):Manuel Sandoval Vallarta, Obra Cientifica, Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, y Instituto Nacional de Energia Nuclear (Mexico City, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  7. K. G. Malmfors:Ark. Mat. Astron. Fys. A,32, 1 (1946).

    Google Scholar 

  8. E. Å. Brunberg:Tellus,5, 135 (1953).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. E. Å. Brunberg andA. Dattner:Tellus,5, 269 (1953).

    Google Scholar 

  10. K. G. McCracken, U. R. Rao andM. A. Shea:The Trajectories of Cosmic Rays in a High Degree Simulation of the Geomagnetic Field, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Technical Report No. 77, NYO-2670 (1962).

  11. K. G. McCracken, U. R. Rao, B. C. Fowler, M. A. Shea andD. F. Smart:Cosmic Ray Tables (Asymptotic Directions, Variational Coefficients, and Cut-off Rigidities), IQSY Instruction Manual No. 10 (1965).

  12. K. G. McCracken, U. R. Rao, B. C. Fowler, M. A. Shea andD. F. Smart:Cosmic rays (asymptotic directions, etc.), inAnnals of the IQSY,1, edited byC. M. Minnis (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1968) p. 198.

    Google Scholar 

  13. M. A. Shea, D. F. Smart andJ. R. McCall:Can. J. Phys.,46, S1098 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  14. D. J. Cooke, M. A. Shea andD. F. Smart:On the terminology of the penumbra, inXVII International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,4, 255 (1981).

  15. R. Gall:The geomagnetic and magnetospheric effects on primary and secondary cosmic rays, inXVII International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,13, 239 (1981).

  16. C. Strörmer:The Polar Aurora (Oxford University Press, London, 1955).

    Google Scholar 

  17. R. A. Hutner:Phys. Rev.,55, 15 (1939).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. R. A. Alpher:J. Geophys. Res.,55, 437 (1950).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. J. E. Kasper:Suppl. Nuovo Cimento,11, 1 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  20. M. S. Vallarta:Handbuch der Physik, XLVI/I (Springer-Verlag, New York, N. Y., 1961). p. 88.

    Google Scholar 

  21. M. S. Vallarta:Early history of cosmic rays. Reminiscences, inXII International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers, Invited Papers Volume, 474 (1971).

  22. M. Schwartz:Suppl. Nuovo Cimento,11, 27 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  23. S. B. Treiman:Phys. Rev.,89, 130 (1953).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. J. J. Quenby andW. R. Webber:Phil. Mag. (Eighth Ser.),4, 90 (1959).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. T. Obayashi andY. Hakura:J. Atmos. Terrest. Phys.,18, 101 (1960).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. V. Bush:J. Franklin Inst.,212, 447 (1931).

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  27. M. A. Shea, D. F. Smart andK. G. McCracken:J. Geophys. Res.,70, 4117 (1965).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. R. A. Hutner:Phys. Rev.,55, 614 (1939).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. E. J. Schremp:Phys. Rev.,54, 153 (1938).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. E. J. Schremp:Phys. Rev.,54, 158 (1938).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. M. A. Shea andD. F. Smart:J. Geophys. Res.,80, 1202 (1975).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. J. E. Humble, D. F. Smart andM. A. Shea:Cosmic ray access to earth satellites from below horizon directions, inXVII International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,10, 270 (1981).

  33. E. O. Flückiger, D. F. Smart andM. A. Shea:J. Geophys. Res.,88, 6961 (1983).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. S. P. Jordan andP. Meyer:Phys. Rev. Lett.,53, 505 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  35. P. Ferrando, P. Goret, L. Koch-Miramond, N. Petrou andA. Soutoul:A new analysis of cosmic ray isotopes at 3 GeV/nfrom HEAO3-C2data, inXIX International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,2, 96 (1985).

  36. N. Lund andM. Rotenberg:Search for heavy anti-nuclei in the cosmic radiation, inXIX International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,2, 330 (1985).

  37. D. J. Cooke, J. E. Humble, M. A. Shea, D. F. Smart, N. Lund, I. L. Rasmussen, B. Byrnak, P. Goret andN. Petrou:Re-evaluation of cosmic ray cut-off terminology, inXIX International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,5, 328 (1985).

  38. E. O. Flückiger, D. F. Smart andM. A. Shea:J. Geophys. Res.,91, 7925 (1986).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. E. O. Flückiger, D. F. Smart, M. A. Shea andL. C. Gentile:J. Geophys. Res.,92, 2551 (1987).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. M. A. Shea andD. F. Smart:Cosmic rays and solar activity since 1955, inSolar-Terrestrial Relationships and the Earth Environment in the Last Millenia (Soc. Italiana di Fisica, Bologna, Italy, 1988), p. 396.

    Google Scholar 

  41. M. A. Shea, D. F. Smart andL. C. Gentile:Asymptotic directions for selected cosmic ray stations calculated using the international geomagnetic reference field for 1980, Report UAG-96, World Data Center A for Solar-Terrestrial Physics, NOAA (Boulder, Colorado, USA, 1987), p. 155.

    Google Scholar 

  42. D. J. Cooke andS. C. Bredesen:Summary plot representation of the penumbra, inXVII International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,4, 263 (1981).

  43. D. J. Cooke:Geophys. Res. Lett.,9, 591 (1982).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  44. M. S. Vallarta:An Outline of the Theory of the Allowed Cone of Cosmic Radiation, University of Toronto Studies Applied Mathematics Series No. 3 (The University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1938).

    Google Scholar 

  45. J. R. Winckler andK. Anderson:Phys. Rev.,93, 596 (1954).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. D. J. Cooke andJ. E. Humble:J. Geophys. Res.,75, 5961 (1970).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  47. J. E. Humble andD. J. Cooke:Dependence of the loop-cone on changes in the geomagnetic field, inXIV International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,4, 1341 (1975).

  48. J. E. Kasper:J. Geophys. Res.,65, 39 (1960).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  49. M. A. Shea andD. F. Smart:Calculation of the magnitude of the daily variation of vertical cut-off rigidities and associated changes in the neutron monitor response for selected North American stations, inXII International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,3, 854 (1971).

  50. A. Freon andK. G. McCracken:J. Geophys. Res.,67, 888 (1962).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  51. D. J. Cooke andJ. E. Humble:The cosmic ray penumbra-confusion clarified, inXVI International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,12, 243 (1979).

  52. N. Lund andA. Sorgen:Penumbra structure calculations and their application to isotope analysis of cosmic rays, inXV International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,11, 292 (1977).

  53. J. A. Lezniak, D. F. Smart andM. A. Shea:The effect of ionization energy loss on the calculation of rigidity transmittance functions, inXIV International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers4, 1315 (1975).

  54. N. Petrou andA. Soutoul:On the residual atmosphere traversed by cosmic rays at large zenith angles at satellite altitude, inXV International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,11, 273 (1977).

  55. M. A. Shea andD. F. Smart:Acta Phys. Acad. Sci. Hung.,29, Suppl. 2 (Proceedings of the XI International Conference on Cosmic Rays, Budapest, 1969), 533 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  56. L. I. Dorman, R. T. Gushchina, M. A. Shea andD. F. Smart:Cosmic Ray Effective Cut-Off Rigidities (Nauka, Moscow, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  57. B. Byrnak, N. Lund, I. L. Rasmussen, B. Peters, T. Risbo, M. Rotenberg, N. J. Westergaard andN. Petrou:The isotopic composition of cosmic ray nuclei at 0.6, 3 and 7 GeV/n, inXVII International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,2, 8 (1981).

  58. A. Soutoul, J. J. Engelmann, P. Goret, E. Juliusson, L. Koch-Miramond, P. Masse, N. Petrou, Y. Rio andT. Risbo:Isotope analysis using the geomagnetic method, inXVII International Cosmic Ray Conference, Conference Papers,9, 105 (1981).

  59. IAGA Division 1 Study Group:J. Geophys. Res.,81, 5163 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  60. N. W. Peddie:J. Geomag. Geoelectr.,34, 309 (1982).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cooke, D.J., Humble, J.E., Shea, M.A. et al. On cosmic-ray cut-off terminology. Il Nuovo Cimento C 14, 213–234 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02509357

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02509357

PACS 94.40

Navigation