Summary
Electromagnetic cascades with energy 0.7·1011≤E 0≤1.2·1012eV have been investigated in several stacks of nuclear emulsion exposed at an altitude above 100 000 feet for between 7.5 and 15 h. The energy of 96 events has been measured by using the shower theory of Kamata and Nishimura. Extended evaluations from the theory were made for cascades initiated by an electron pair and by a single γ-ray. The scanning losses were measured and the detector biases calculated in order to determine the absolute intensity of individual γ-rays entering the stack at this altitude. The integral energy spectrum of individual γ-rays was found to obey a power law with an exponent of 1.9 +0.3−0.2 in the region 0.7·1011≤E 0≤1012 eV. The observed angular distribution of individual γ-rays at a depth into the atmosphere of ∼ 6.5 g/cm2 could be interpreted by a simple calculation and was found to have no significant energy dependence and to show no indication of a sizable contribution from primary γ-rays. The longitudinal development and lateral distribution of these cascades were compared with the average behavior predicted by the shower theory, and the agreement was very satisfactory.
Riassunto
Si sono studiate le cascate elettromagnetiche di energia 0.7·1011≤E 0≤1.2·1012 eV in molti pacchi di emulsione nucleare esposti ad altitudine superiore a 100 000 piedi per periodi variabili fra 7.5 e 15 ore. Si è misurata l'energia di 96 eventi con la teoria degli sciami di Kamata e Nishimura. In base alla teoria si sono fatte ampie valutazioni per le cascate iniziate da una coppia di elettroni e da un singolo raggio γ. Si sono misurate le perdite di scanning e di sono calcolate le influenze dei rivelatori allo scopo di determinare l'intensità assoluta dei singoli raggi γ che entrano nel pacco a questa altitudine. Si è trovato che lo spettro integrale dell'energia obbedisce ad una legge esponenziale con esponente 1.9 +0.3−0.2 nella zona 0.7·1011≤E 0≤1012 eV. La distribuzione angolare dei singoli raggi γ osservata ad una profondità atmosferica di ∼ 6.5 g/cm2 può essere interpretata con un semplice calcolo e si è trovato che non dipende in modo significativo dall'energia e che non presenta indicazioni di un contributo misurabile dei raggi γ primari. Lo sviluppo longitudinale e la distribuzione laterale di queste cascate si sono confrontati con il comportamento medio predetto dalla teoria degli sciami, e la concordanza è stata molto soddisfacente.
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This work was supported in part by the Office of Naval Research and National Science Foundation.
A thesis submitted to the Department of Physics at the University of Chicago in candidacy for the Ph. D. degree.
Traduzione a cura della Redazione.
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Kidd, J.M. A study of high-energy gamma rays at the top of the atmosphere. Nuovo Cim 27, 57–85 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02812602
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02812602