Galactic HZE propagation through the Earth's atmosphere

Area of Science:

• Astrophysics and Space Science
• Nuclear Physics
• Atmospheric Physics

Background:

• Galactic cosmic rays, including heavy ions, interact with Earth's atmosphere.
• Understanding heavy ion propagation is crucial for space radiation protection and atmospheric studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a comprehensive physical model for galactic heavy ion propagation.
• To incorporate major nuclear fragmentation processes relevant to galactic ions.
• To compare model predictions with atmospheric ion fluence measurements.

Main Methods:

• Development of a simplified physical model for nuclear fragmentation.
• Simulation of galactic heavy ion propagation through the atmosphere.
• Analysis of atmospheric ion fluence data.

Main Results:

• The presented model accounts for significant nuclear fragmentation processes.
• Comparisons between the model and atmospheric ion measurements were performed.
• Limitations encountered during the comparison analysis were identified.

Conclusions:

• The developed physical model provides a framework for studying galactic heavy ion propagation.
• Further refinement of the model is necessary to improve agreement with experimental data.
• The study underscores the complexities of modeling ion interactions in the atmosphere.