Speaker
John Mitchell
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
Description
Abstract: Magnetic-rigidity spectrometers, making use of the curved tracks of charged particles traversing strong magnetic fields in the bores of permanent or superconducting magnets, are among the most versatile tools available for cosmic ray research. As the only instruments that can determine charge sign except at very low energies, they are essential in antimatter measurements and searches. They are also the most sensitive means of distinguishing isotopes at energies above a few hundred MeV/nucleon. The requirements for a successful magnetic-rigidity spectrometer and its components will be reviewed together with a brief discussion of their history, important examples, and a review of important scientific results.
Primary author
John Mitchell
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
