Development of a Method for Recovery of the Energy Spectra of Precipitating Electrons from the Data of Measurements in the Atmosphere

Abstract

Regular measurements of fluxes of charged particles in the Earth’s atmosphere conducted by theLebedev Physical Institute (LPI) made it possible to register since 1963 more than 500 cases of precipitationof energetic electrons in the northern polar latitudes. The obtained experimental data represent the world’sonly database on the precipitation of electrons registered directly in the Earth’s atmosphere. Primary precipitatingelectrons are absorbed in the upper layers of the atmosphere. However, the fluxes of secondary photonsgenerated by them can penetrate deep into the atmosphere, sometimes to heights of ~20 km, which areaccessible for balloon measurements by the Lebedev Physical Institute. This paper presents a new techniquefor reconstructing the energy spectrum of precipitating electrons developed on the basis of the Monte Carlosimulation of the processes of electron propagation in the atmosphere. The applicability of the technique tothe accumulated experimental data is shown, and new results are presented for individual events recorded inthe atmosphere.