Suborbital Characterization of Atmospheric Profiles and Cosmic Radiation over the Mexican Plateau

TL;DR

This study presents the first combined in situ measurements of atmospheric profiles and cosmic radiation over the Mexican Plateau using a stratospheric balloon, revealing detailed thermal and radiation structures up to nearly 30 km altitude.

Contribution

It provides novel in situ data on atmospheric and cosmic radiation profiles over Mexico, integrating thermal structure analysis with radiation flux measurements at high altitudes.

Findings

Identification of distinct lapse-rate regimes consistent with ISA

Observation of the Regener-Pfotzer maximum in cosmic-ray flux

Measurement of a peak dose rate of 2.96 microGy/h at 18.64 km

Abstract

We report suborbital in situ measurements of atmospheric thermodynamic variables and ionizing cosmic radiation obtained during a stratospheric balloon experiment conducted over the Mexican Plateau. The flight reached a maximum geometric altitude of 28.94 km above mean sea level, providing vertical sampling of the troposphere, tropopause, and lower stratosphere. Continuous temperature and pressure measurements acquired during ascent and descent were used to derive vertical profiles and to compute atmospheric density as a function of altitude under the hydrostatic approximation. The resulting thermal structure exhibits distinct lapse-rate regimes, allowing for a piecewise parametrization consistent with the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) within the sampled altitude range. Simultaneous measurements of ionizing radiation show the expected altitude dependence of secondary cosmic-ray fluxes generated by atmospheric cascades, including the formation of a Regener-Pfotzer maximum. A peak ambient dose equivalent rate of 2.96 microGy h^{-1} was measured at an altitude of 18.64 km, consistent with mid-latitude stratospheric conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this experiment constitutes the first documented stratospheric balloon mission conducted in the State of Mexico to combine near-space atmospheric profiling with direct in situ measurements of ionizing cosmic radiation at altitudes approaching 30 km.