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Charge-equilibrium and radiation of low-energy cosmic rays passing through interstellar medium

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6622458
The charge equilibrium and radiation of an oxygen and an iron beam in the MeV per nucleon energy range, representing a typical beam of low-energy cosmic rays passing through the interstellar medium, is considered. Electron loss of the beam has been taken into account by means of the first Born approximation to allow for the target atom to remain unexcited, or to be excited to all possible states. Electron capture cross sections have been calculated by means of the scaled Oppenheimer-Brinkman-Kramers approximation, taking into account all atomic shells of the target atoms. Radiation of the beam due to electron capture into the excited states of the ion, collisional excitation and collisional inner-shell ionization of the ions has been considered. Effective X-ray production cross sections and multiplicities for the most energetic X-ray lines emitted by the Fe and O beams have been calculated.
Research Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
OSTI ID:
6622458
Report Number(s):
N-78-15984; NASA-TM-78078; X-624-77-276
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English