Re: High Altitude Radiation?

[BRZGV@ccmail.ceco.com]

     Not sure of Atmospheric layers but, perhaps more ionizations are 
     occurring at the lower altitude due to a greater density of the 
     atmosphere at the lower altitude.  The GM is primarily a detector of 
     charged particles and would record the ionizations occuring, not 
     necessarily the true flux of radiation.
     
     Just a potential explanation based on very little information.
     
     Glen


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: High Altitude Radiation?
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at INTERNET
Date:    11/7/96 8:38 AM


     
Howdy,
     
Our campus amateur radio club recently launched a balloon with an 
amateur radio package attached.  In addition to the amateur radio gear, 
there was a Geiger counter and data acquisition system on board. They 
looked at the data and then came to me with questions.  They basically 
were looking at counting rate versus altitude.  The numbers they got are 
(cpm = counts per minute):
     
    ground - 16cpm
    60,000ft - 800cpm
    90,000ft - 600cpm
     
According to the manufacturers calibration data, 1cpm = 1 microR/hour.
     
Their questions are:
     
1) Why is the counting rate higher at 60,000 than 90,000?
     
2) What kind of radiations are they seeing (x-rays, mesons)?
     
Any thoughts?
     
Thanks,
     
Tracy
     
==================================================================== 
Tracy N. Tipping                                Work: (913) 532-2668 
Laboratory Safety Officer                       FAX:  (913) 532-6806 
James R. Macdonald Laboratory                   Home: (913) 539-1378 
116 Cardwell Hall                               Amateur Radio: N0OEY 
Kansas State University                         tipping@phys.ksu.edu 
Manhattan, KS 66506-2604            http://www.phys.ksu.edu/~tipping 
====================================================================