Computer Science – Performance
Scientific paper
Jan 1995
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995phdt........14w&link_type=abstract
Thesis (PH.D.)--WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, 1995.Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-10, Section: B, page: 5552
Computer Science
Performance
Cosmic Rays, Interstellar Medium
Scientific paper
Our current knowledge of cosmic rays has lead to an inferred life cycle which begins with the synthesis of the cosmic ray source material. This is followed by the extraction and acceleration of the cosmic rays from this material. Once accelerated, the cosmic rays propagate through the interstellar medium into the heliosphere and finally to the point of detection. As more and more information has been gathered, our knowledge about each of these stages has grown. However, there still remain many unanswered questions concerning cosmic rays and their inferred life cycle, including their place of origin. Examining the elemental and isotopic abundances of the cosmic ray nuclei with Z > 2 provides insight into the many questions which surround cosmic rays, including their site(s) of origin and their method of acceleration. The Scintillating Optical Fiber Isotope Experiment (SOFIE) is designed to examine a select few of these cosmic rays, in particular the iron peak nuclei. SOFIE obtains particle identification by employing the Cherenkov-dE/dx method of charge determination along with the Cherenkov-range method of mass determination. Both of these methods require that the trajectory of the incident cosmic ray be known. To acquire this information, SOFIE utilizes a unique detector which was developed at Washington University called the Scintillating Optical Fiber Trajectory (SOFT) detector. When combined with the Cherenkov, scintillating dE/dx, and range detector (another Washington University innovation), a mass measurement for the isotopes of Si through Co may be made. This thesis reports the results obtained from a high altitude balloon flight of SOFIE. The flight took place from Lynn Lake, Manitoba on August 8, 1991. The 22 hour flight did not collect enough events to adequately determine isotopic ratios. Nonetheless, with more than 20 hours of flight data, additional information on detector performance pertinent to future long duration flights of SOFIE was obtained. By the end of the flight, 66,626 events had been recorded. The analysis of the collected data revealed that this was the first successful flight of the SOFT detectors. The detectors provided trajectory information for particles ranging from oxygen to iron with a position resolution of ~350 mum. In this regard alone, the 1991 flight was truly successful, for a powerful new tool has been introduced into the field of cosmic rays. In addition, SOFIE also adequately determined the charge of the collected events. A charge resolution of 0.3 charge units was obtained for iron. A mass determination was also made for the iron events with an obtained resolution of 0.67 amu.
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