Composition of cosmic radiation at energies approx. 10/sup 15/ eV and above

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:5806845

Nikol'skii, S I; Stamenov, I N; Ushev, S Z

Experimental data on relative fluctuations of the fluxes of electrons and muons in extensive air showers have been used to determine the nuclear composition of the primary cosmic radiation in the energy range 10/sup 15/--10/sup 17/ eV. The analysis of the experimental data does not involve assumptions regarding hadron-multiple-production processes at ultrahigh energies, since any models which are consistent with the averaged dependence of the number of muons in an extensive shower on the number of electrons, which has been thoroughly investigated in many experiments, are acceptable for this purpose. On the basis of the present work and previously published results of other authors on the intensity of the fluxes of protons and various nuclei at the edge of the atmosphere, and also on the basis of data on the total flux of primary particles in the energy range 10/sup 14/--10/sup 18/ eV, we have obtained approximations of the energy spectra of primary protons and heavier nuclei in the energy interval 10/sup 12/--10/sup 18/ eV. Over this entire range the composition of the primary cosmic radiation with respect to the relative contribution of protons and various nuclei remains approximately constant.

• Research Organization: P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, USSR Academy of Sciences
• OSTI ID: 5806845
• Journal Information: Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 60:1; ISSN SPHJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640101* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmic Radiation
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABUNDANCE
BARYONS
COSMIC NUCLEI
COSMIC PROTONS
COSMIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
ENERGY SPECTRA
FERMIONS
HADRONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEONS
PEV RANGE
PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION
PROTONS
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA