Cosmic-ray elemental abundances from 1 to 10 GeV per amu for boron through nickel

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1987 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/165793· OSTI ID:5465859

Dwyer, R; Meyer, P

The relative abundances of cosmic-ray nuclei in the charge range boron through nickel over the energy range 1-10 GeV per amu were measured with a balloon-borne detector. The instrument consists of a scintillation and Cerenkov counter telescope with a multiwire proportional chamber hodoscope and has been flown in four high-altitude balloon flights. Good charge resolution (sigma = 0.2 charge units at iron) and high statistical accuracy have been achieved. These data are used to derive the energy dependence of the leakage path length using the leaky box model of propagation and confinement in the galaxy. This energy dependence is found to be best fit by lambda = E(tot) exp -n, where n = 0.49 + or - 0.06 over 1-10 GeV per amu. Relative abundances at the source are consistent with an energy-independent composition. 29 references.

• Research Organization: Chicago Univ., IL
• OSTI ID: 5465859
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 322
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COSMIC NUCLEI
ELEMENT ABUNDANCE
ABUNDANCE
CHERENKOV COUNTERS
GEV RANGE 01-10
HODOSCOPES
PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
COSMIC RADIATION
ENERGY RANGE
GEV RANGE
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NUCLEI
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATIONS
640101* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Cosmic Radiation