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Binns, W. R.

Publications and source records attributed to Binns, W. R..

77 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Chemical composition of cosmic rays with Z greater than or equal to 30 and E greater than or equal to 325 MeV/N

Results are presented on the chemical composition of VVH cosmic rays from a series of six high-altitude balloon flights of a large-area, high-resolution electronic detector. The charge composition in the 32 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 45 interval is found to be inconsistent with S-process nucleosynthesis. The energy spectrum of particles with Z greater than or equal to 32 between 600 and 1500 MeV/N at the top of the atmosphere is measured and is found to be consistent with the 25 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 27 group within experimental error.

Binns, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Relativistic heavy cosmic rays

During three balloon flights of a 1 sq m sr ionization chamber/Cerenkov counter detector system, measurements were made of the atmospheric attenuation, flux, and charge composition of cosmic ray nuclei with 16 is less than or = Z is less than or = 30 and rigidity greater than 4.5 GV. The attenuation mean free path in air of VH (20 less than or = Z less than or = 30) nuclei is found to be 19.7 + or - 1.6 g/sq cm, a value somewhat greater than the best previous measurement. The attenuation mean free path of iron is found to be 15.6 + or - 2.2 g/sq cm, consistent with predictions of geometric cross-section formulae. An absolute flux of VH nuclei 10 to 20% higher than earlier experiments at similar geomagnetic cutoff and level of solar activity was measured. The relative abundances of even-charged nuclei are found to be in good agreement with results of other recent high resolution counter experiments. The observed cosmic ray chemical composition implies relative abundances at the cosmic ray source of Ca/Fe = 0.12 + or - 0.04 and S/Fe = 0.14 + or - 0.05.

Mewaldt, R. A.↗