ABSTRACT
We present a new measurement of the cosmic-ray positron fraction at energies between 5 and 15 GeV with the balloon-borne HEAT-pbar instrument in the spring of 2000. The data presented here are compatible with our previous measurements, obtained with a different instrument. The combined data from the three HEAT flights indicate a small positron flux of nonstandard origin above 5 GeV. We compare the new measurement with earlier data obtained with the HEAT-e(+/-) instrument, during the opposite epoch of the solar cycle, and conclude that our measurements do not support predictions of charge sign dependent solar modulation of the positron abundance at 5 GeV.
ABSTRACT
We present a new measurement of the antiproton-to-proton abundance ratio, pbar/p, in the cosmic radiation. The HEAT-pbar instrument, a balloon borne magnet spectrometer with precise rigidity and multiple energy loss measurement capability, was flown successfully in Spring 2000, at an average atmospheric depth of 7.2 g/cm(2). A total of 71 antiprotons were identified above the vertical geomagnetic cutoff rigidity of 4.2 GV. The highest measured proton energy was 81 GeV. We find that the pbar/p abundance ratio agrees with that expected from a purely secondary origin of antiprotons produced by primary protons with a standard soft energy spectrum.
ABSTRACT
The cross section for the breakup of relativistic uranium projectiles (energy approximately 35 billion electron volts) into two large fragments in the track detector CR-39 was measured and found to be about half of the geometric cross section. The range of the uranium projectiles was also measured and found to agree with that predicted by the Bethe theory when modified to account for the capture of orbital electrons by the projectiles.
ABSTRACT
We calculate the expected fluxes of cosmic ray nuclei with charge 5
