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Effect on the Mott cross section of the determination of the charge of ultraheavy cosmic rays from emulsion tracks

Journal Article · · Phys. Rev., D; (United States)

Energy deposition due to secondary electrons is calculated as a function of distance from the axis of the track of a heavy ion. The calculation incorporates the empirical formulas of Kobetich and Katz for delta-ray energy dissipation. Both the Mott and Born-approximation expressions for the delta-ray energy distributions are used and the results are compared. The energy deposition projected along a line perpendicular to the track is also calculated. These results are used to estimate the effect that the use of the Mott cross section would have in the interpretation of photometric measurements on emulsion tracks of trans-iron cosmic-ray particles. It is shown that the use of 50 keV as a characteristic track-formation electron energy to estimate the effect of the Mott cross section systematically overestimates charge as derived from emulsions in the Z > 20 range.

Research Organization:
Space Sciences Laboratory, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 35812
OSTI ID:
6468115
Journal Information:
Phys. Rev., D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev., D; (United States) Vol. 18:9; ISSN PRVDA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English