New calibrations and time stability of the response of the INTERCAST CR-39

We present new calibrations of different production batches (from 1989 to 1999) of the INTERCAST CR-39, using the BNL-AGS 1 A GeV iron beam. The comparison with previous results, obtained with the 158 A GeV lead beam from the CERN-SPS shows that, while each production batch has a different calibration curve (mainly due to minor differences in the production conditions), the aging effect is negligible. We also tested the dependence of the CR-39 response from the time elapsed between exposure and analysis (fading effect). The fading effect, if present, is less than 10%. It may be compatible with the experimental uncertainties on the bulk etching rate vB.Comment: 9 pages, 4 EPS figures, .pdf file. Talk presented by M. Giorgini at the 20 Int. Conf. on Nuclear Tracks in Solids, Portoroz (Slovenia), Aug 28-Sep 1, 200

A study of periodicities and recurrences in solar activity and cosmic ray modulation

The 154d periodicity was found in the cosmic ray intensity (RE) vs Flares, and some other peaks of coherency in the RC vs aa sub I, that when interpreted as aliased values, might correspond to recurring interplanetary magnetic field structures and solar wind streams. It cannot be excluded, however, that some of the correspondence with aa are of terrestrial origin. This study cannot be considered exhaustive due to the fact that other solar variables, such as polar hole size, are possibly correlated to cosmic ray intensities. However, the number of observations is small so that the interpretation of the results is very difficult

Nuclear Track Detectors for Environmental Studies and Radiation Monitoring

Several improvements were made for Nuclear Track Detectors (NTDs) used for environmental studies and for particle searches. A new method was used to determine the bulk etch rate of CR39 and Makrofol NTDs. It is based on the simultaneous measurement of the diameter and of the height of etch-pit cones caused by relativistic heavy ions (158 A GeV Pb(82+) and In(49+) ions) and their fragments. The use of alcohol in the etching solution improves the surface quality of NTDs and it raises their thresholds. The detectors were used for the determination of nuclear fragmentation cross sections of Iron and Silicon ions of 1.0 and 0.41 GeV/nucleon. These measurements are important for the determination of doses in hadron therapy and for doses received by astronauts. The detectors were also used in the search of massive particles in the cosmic radiation, for the determination of the mass spectrum of cosmic rays and for the evaluation of Po(210) alpha decay and of natural radon concentrations.Comment: 7 pages, 5 EPS figures. Presented at the 10th Topical Seminar on Innovative Particle and Radiation Detectors, 1-5 October 2006, Siena, Ital

Cosmic ray biannual variation

The study of the cosmic ray (CR) power spectrum has revealed a significant variation with a period around 2 yr that cannot be explained as a high order harmonic of the 11 yr solar cycle. Comparative study of the correlation on different time scales between CR intensity and Rz, aa, high speed streams and polar hole size has put in evidence that a high degree of coherency exists between each couple of variables at 1.58 to 1.64 yr, except between CR and Rz. On the other hand cyclic variation on a short time scale, around 26 months, has been claimed to be present in the neutrino flux. Critical tests of this hypothesis are considered and a preliminary result seems to indicate that the hypothesis of the existence of a 1.6 yr periodicity in the neutrino data during the measurement time interval, has a significance or = 99.9%. The possible origin of this variation as due to a contribution either of CR interactions in the upper atmosphere or to the solar dynamics, are discussed

Nuclear Track Detectors. Searches for Exotic Particles

We used Nuclear Track Detectors (NTD) CR39 and Makrofol for many purposes: i) Exposures at the SPS and at lower energy accelerator heavy ion beams for calibration purposes and for fragmentation studies. ii) Searches for GUT and Intermediate Mass Magnetic Monopoles (IMM), nuclearites, Q-balls and strangelets in the cosmic radiation. The MACRO experiment in the Gran Sasso underground lab, with ~1000 m^2 of CR39 detectors (plus scintillators and streamer tubes), established an upper limit for superheavy GUT poles at the level of 1.4x10^-16 cm^-2 s^-1 sr^-1 for 4x10^-5 <beta<1. The SLIM experiment at the high altitude Chacaltaya lab (5230 m a.s.l.), using 427 m^2 of CR39 detectors exposed for 4.22 y, gave an upper limit for IMMs of ~1.3x10^-15 cm^-2 s^-1 sr^-1. The experiments yielded interesting upper limits also on the fluxes of the other mentioned exotic particles. iii) Environmental studies, radiation monitoring, neutron dosimetry.Comment: Talk given at "New Trends In High-Energy Physics" (experiment, phenomenology, theory) Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine, September 27-October 4, 200

Cosmic rays 10Be biennal data and their relationship to aurorae and sunspots

The galactic cosmic ray (C.R.) variations which should give information on three dimensional aspects of the heliospheric magnetic fields and on the solar wind, which modulate their influx into the Solar System were studied. In order to decode the information from the C.R. series it is necessary to know the mechanisms through which the modulation is produced. It it clear that a balance of effects with sources at different heliospheric latitudes results in the modulated C.R. intensity. It is found that the modulation of 10Be in polar ice may be due to at least two main contributions: (1) negative and in phase with the Solar flare activity modulating the cosmic ray flux in Forbush-type decreases, and (2) positive in phase with the appearance of large wind streams situated at both polar coronal holes. It is found that the high heliolatitude activity is related to a stable periodicity of 11.1y whereas the low heliolatitude activity contributes to the wondering of the solar cycles

Bulk Etch Rate Measurements and Calibrations of Plastic Nuclear Track Detectors

New calibrations of CR39 and Makrofol nuclear track detectors have been obtained using 158 A GeV Pb (82+) and In (49+) ions; a new method for the bulk etch rate determination, using both cone height and base diameter measurements was developed. The CR39 charge resolution based on the etch-pit base area measurement is adequate to identify nuclear fragments in the interval 7 <= Z/beta <= 49. For CR39 the detection threshold is at REL~50 MeV cm^2/g, corresponding to a nuclear fragment with Z/beta~7. Base cone area distributions for Makrofol foils exposed to Pb (82+) ions have shown for the first time all peaks due to nuclear fragments with Z > 50; the distribution of the etched cone heights shows well separated individual peaks for Z/beta = 78 - 83 (charge pickup). The Makrofol detection threshold is at REL 2700 MeV cm^2/g, corresponding to a nuclear fragment with Z/beta~50.Comment: 11 pages, 5 EPS figures. Submitted to Nucl. Instr. Meth.

Search for nuclearites with the SLIM detector

We discuss the properties of cosmic ray nuclearites, from the point of view of their search with large nuclear track detector arrays exposed at different altitudes, in particular with the SLIM experiment at the Chacaltaya high altitude lab (5290 m a.s.l.). We present calculations concerning their propagation in the Earth atmosphere and discuss their possible detection with CR39 and Makrofol nuclear track detectors.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure