Nature of Interplanetary Cosmic Electrons (NICE)

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

The investigators are planning to determine the nature of interplanetary cosmic electrons by measuring the spectra of electrons (negatrons and positrons) in the nearly unexplored energy range from 50 MeV to 500 MeV at the time of the next solar minimum period. The main effort is to develop a lightweight balloon borne instruments capable of a long-duration (20-30 day) flight from McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Such a flight is also capable of examining variations in time of the relative abundance of positrons over a complete solar rotation. Electrons between 50 MeV and 500 MeV probe both large scale and turbulent structures in the solar wind on length and time scales not accessible when only ions are measured.