Abstract
The satellite Ariel VI was launched on 3 June 1979 into a near-circular 625 km 55° inclination orbit. The Bristol experiment on board is of a novel design using a spherical gas scintillation chamber with an integral plastic Cerenkov element1. The data presented here were collected during an exposure of ∼360 m2 sr days with essentially 100% recording efficiency for events with Z≥38. The abundance spectrum, particularly for Z≥50, suggests that the cosmic ray source is significantly enriched in r-process material relative to the Solar System.
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References
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Fowler, P., Walker, R., Masheder, M. et al. Ultra-heavy cosmic ray studies with Ariel VI. Nature 291, 45–47 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/291045a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/291045a0
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