atmospheric gamma ray angle and energy distributions from 2 to 25 MeV

Abstract

Results are given for gamma ray fluxes in six energy intervals from 2-25 MeV and five zenith angle intervals from 0-50 deg (downward moving) and five from 130-180 deg (upward moving). Observations were obtained with the University of California, Riverside double Compton scatter gamma ray telescope flown on a balloon to a 3.0 g/sq cm residual atmosphere at a geomagnetic cuttoff of 4.5 GV. It was found that the angular distribution of downward moving gamma rays is relatively flat, increasing slowly from 10-40 deg. The angular distribution of the upward moving gamma rays at 4.2 g/sq cm increases with angle from the vertical. Energy distributions of upward and downward moving gamma rays are in good agreement with the results of previous studies.