A Survey of the Cosmic-Ray Nucleonic Component along 145° East Longitude using an Airborne Monitor

Abstract

MANY reports have appeared in recent years of discrepancies between the observed distribution of cosmic ray intensity over the surface of the Earth and that expected from conventional geomagnetic theory. For example, the geomagnetic equator does not fit reported positions of equatorial cosmic ray minima¹ and a new cosmic ray equator must be determined by experiment. Furthermore, at intermediate latitudes direct measurements of low-rigidity cut-offs of alpha-particles and heavier nuclei frequently differ from those calculated from the Störmer theory using standard geomagnetic co-ordinates². It appears that geomagnetic co-ordinates must be replaced by a new system of co-ordinates for the description of the Earth's effective magnetic field for cosmic rays.