The nature of large cosmic-ray bursts

Abstract

A continuous record of the ionization current produced by cosmic rays in an ionization chamber shows, if the recording apparatus is sufficiently sensitive, occasional relatively large momentary currents superposed on the normal fluctuations. These large momentary currents are generally called “bursts”. They were first discovered by Hoffmann. It has often been assumed that the bursts are of the same nature as the showers which are observed either in the Wilson chamber or by means of three or more coincidence counters; but so far no conclusive evidence, particularly for the larger bursts, has been reported in support of this assumption.