301. Activation of cosmic dust by cosmic-ray particles
- Author
-
V. S. Venkatavaradan and D. Lal
- Subjects
Cosmic ray spallation ,Physics ,Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena ,Chlorine-36 ,Astronomy ,Flux ,Cosmic ray ,Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics ,Astrophysics ,Accretion (astrophysics) ,Geophysics ,Interplanetary dust cloud ,Space and Planetary Science ,Geochemistry and Petrology ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics ,Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics ,Particle radiation ,Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics ,Cosmic dust - Abstract
The magnitude of isotopic changes induced in cosmic dust, due to nuclear interactions of solar and galactic cosmic rays, is calculated for several radioisotopes which seem suitable as signatures of cosmic dust in terrestrial environments. The rates of accretion of these radioisotopes depend on the composition and size distribution of cosmic dust, in addition to the cosmic dust mass influx rate, and the flux of low-energy particle radiation in space. The monitor radioisotopes are produced efficiently only in dust grains of certain preatmospheric size intervals; that is discussed separately for the monitor radioisotopes considered.
- Published
- 1967