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UH cosmic rays and solar system material: The elements just beyond iron

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Abstract

The origin of the elements from Cu to As in the UH (ultra-heavy) cosmic rays is investigated and related to current concepts of the nucleosynthesis of solar system material. The charge spectrum of the UH cosmic rays in the interval 29≤Z≤60 is studied via a fully developed propagation calculation for source abundances given by solar system material, ther-process, the massive-star core helium-burnings-process, and explosive carbon burning. None of these sources considered individually can explain the cosmic ray observations. However a combination of material produced in ther-process, the core helium-burnings-process and in explosive carbon burning provides a good representation of the experimental data. The cosmic-rayr-process is found to differ from solar systemr-process events by an underproduction of the low-massr-process peaks relative to theA∼195 peak. The large cosmicray abundance forZ=40–44 may be due to anr-process fission component, but this explanation is by no means certain. Improved cosmic-ray data, especially for Zn−Sr, can provide limits to the various source contributions. The model described here gives a consistent picture for the origin of both the cosmic rays and the solar system elements just beyond iron, and adds additional evidence for the importance of massive stars as a site of nucleosynthesis and the birthplace of the cosmic rays.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill., USA

    J. P. Wefel (Robert R. McCormick Fellow) & D. N. Schramm

  2. Space Sciences Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., USA

    J. B. Blake

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  1. J. P. Wefel
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  2. D. N. Schramm
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  3. J. B. Blake
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Enrico Fermi Institute.

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Wefel, J.P., Schramm, D.N. & Blake, J.B. UH cosmic rays and solar system material: The elements just beyond iron. Astrophys Space Sci 49, 47–81 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00647076

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