Cosmic-ray isotopic composition of C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si nuclei in the energy range 50-200 MeV per nucleon measured by the Voyager spacecraft during the solar minimum period
The isotopic composition of C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si cosmic ray nuclei has been measured in the energy range 50-200 MeV per nucleon using data collected by the High-Energy Telescope of the cosmic-ray subsystem experiment on the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. These data were collected during the period of minimum solar activity in 1986-1988 at an average distance of 27 AU with an effective solar modulation that was much less than at the Earth. The isotope analysis, based on the energy loss - total energy method, has a mass resolution of 0.2 amu for carbon and 0.4 amu at silicon. We find a (C-13)/(C-12) ratio slightly lower and a (O-18)/(O-16) ratio slightly enhanced over their solar system value. We also observe the previously reported enhancement of the (Ne-22)/(Ne-20) ratio relative to solar at the cosmic-ray source but only a weak, if any, enhancement of the (Mg-25)/(Mg-24), (Mg-26)/(Mg 24), and (Si-30)/(Si-28) ratios.