Author/Authors :
Alexandrov ، نويسنده , , K.V and Ambrosio، نويسنده , , M and Ammosov، نويسنده , , V.V and Antonova، نويسنده , , V.P and Aramo، نويسنده , , C and Bonvicini، نويسنده , , V and Chechin، نويسنده , , V.A and Chubenko، نويسنده , , A.P and Drobzhev، نويسنده , , V.I and Erlykin، نويسنده , , A.D and Fujii، نويسنده , , M and Hatano، نويسنده , , Y and Kryukov، نويسنده , , S.V and Ladygin، نويسنده , , E.A and Lomonosov، نويسنده , , B.N and Merzon، نويسنده , , G.I and Mukhamedshin، نويسنده , , R.A and Murashov، نويسنده , , V.N and Pavlyuchenko، نويسنده , , V.P and Panasyuk، نويسنده , , M.I and Roganova، نويسنده , , T.M and Roussetski، نويسنده , , A.S and Ryabov، نويسنده , , V.A and Ryazhskaya، نويسنده , , O.G and Saito، نويسنده , , T and Sasaki، نويسنده , , H and Shchepetov، نويسنده , , A.L and Sobolevskii، نويسنده , , N.M and Starkov، نويسنده , , N.I and Sveshnikova، نويسنده , , L.G and Trostin، نويسنده , , I.S and Tsarev، نويسنده , , V.A and Vacchi، نويسنده , , A and Wolfendale، نويسنده , , A and Yanagita، نويسنده , , T and Zatsepin، نويسنده , , G.T and Zhdanov، نويسنده , , G.B and Zhukov، نويسنده , , A.P، نويسنده ,
Abstract :
A new technique of the Ionization Neutron Calorimeter (INCA) to be installed aboard a satellite or a space station is capable of opening new horizons for cosmic-ray physics. The main goal of the experiment proposed is studying local nearby sources of high-energy cosmic rays by measuring the spectrum and composition of the nuclear component with the energy resolution of better than 30% that is sufficient for solution of these problems in the energy range 0.1–10 PeV, i.e., in the so-called “knee” region, and the spectrum of primary electrons in the energy range 0.1–10 TeV with the proton-background suppression factor up to 107. In addition, this experiment can provide new information on the cosmic-ray gamma-radiation in the energy interval 30 GeV–1 TeV, neutrons and gamma-rays from solar flares, and the existence of very massive exotic charged particles in cosmic radiation. The INCA is a calorimeter combining properties of conventional ionization calorimeters and classical neutron monitors. It can measure both the ionization produced by charged particles and evaporation neutrons arising as a result of excitation of heavy-absorber nuclei by cascade particles. The advantages of the INCA are not only excellent electron–proton separation but a high geometry factor of about 2 m2sr/ton owing to the INCA optimized composition and shape, whereas conventional ionization calorimeters are usually limited by geometry factor on the order of 0.1 m2sr/ton. To verify the INCA concept, a prototype was constructed and exposed to pion and proton accelerator beams with energies of 4 and 70 GeV, respectively, and to an electron beam with an energy of 200–550 MeV. The experimental data obtained agree well with the results of a Monte Carlo simulation by the SHIELD code.
