Re: Solar Flares

[AndrewsJP@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 11/5/2001 8:20:35 AM Eastern Standard Time, mark.hogue@SRS.GOV writes:



> Maury's references below are fascinating. I was wondering about the impact on gamma/x-ray monitors at the earth's surface. Does anyone know of a web site tracking background cosmic radiation? Or how to predict the effect of the proton flux shown at http://www.spaceweather.com/ to rates on G-M tubes or ion chambers? 


When I was in college ( 60's), I did an experiment and a report on the dinural variation in the cosmic radiation due to the proton flux on the atmosphere by measuring the change in the gamma background above the terrestial component.  I used a 4x4 NaI(Tl) detector in a 4" lead cave open at the top.  The recorded trace of the count-rate showed some differences that I presumed to be from the different proton flux incident on the atmosphere above the detector at different times of day.  The changes were not large, as I recall on the order of 10-20%.  Based on that,  there should be very small differences in the response of normal survey instruments.  


John Andrews

Knoxville, Tennessee