Abstract
ADMIRAL R. E. BYBD'S book, “Antarctic Discovery” (Putnam and Co., Ltd.), which has just been published, contains a preliminary note on the cosmic ray records made by his expedition near the South Magnetic Pole. In an aeroplane flight from Little America (828 miles from the magnetic pole), a height of 12,000 ft. was reached and maintained for three hours while A. A. Zuhn made his observations. While the analysis of the records obtained during this flight, and also during regular ground-level observations, has not yet been completed, Admiral Byrd states that he has been informed by Zuhn that the intensity of radiation was fifteen times greater at 12,000 ft. than at ground-level in Little America, and eight times greater than that recorded in any observations made in the United States. It is to be regretted that it was necessary to replace the original argon of the ionisation chamber with carbon dioxide, owing to a leak which developed during thelong transport of the instrument. As, however, a radium capsule was available for standardisation, Admiral Byrd expresses the opinion that the validity of the records obtained will not be affected. He adds that a crucial test of this point is to be made before the records are formally published.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cosmic Rays Near the South Magnetic Pole. Nature 137, 425 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/137425a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/137425a0