THE ESTIMATION OF COSMIC RAY COMPONENT CONTRIBUTION INTO THE TOTAL β- AND γ-BACKGROUND OF ATMOSPHERE

Abstract

Simulation results of characteristics of atmospheric γ- and β-radiation fields, which are produced by primary cosmic rays when overcoming an Earth’s atmospheres, with using Geant4 are presented. Estimates of γ- and β-radiation flux density with energies of 50 keV–3 MeV formed in ground atmosphere by cosmic radiation are 33 and 1.5 m-² s-¹, approximately, that is significantly lower than that formed by soil and atmospheric radionuclides. It was received that the contribution of cosmic component into the total γ- and β-background of the ground atmosphere at the heights of about 50 m from the land surface is only about 0.06 % and 1.14 %, respectively. The barometric effect within various ranges of energies of photons and electrons was also investigated in the work.

Keywords

• simulation
• cosmic radiation
• ionizing radiation
• ground atmosphere
• pressure
• barometric effect