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The cosmic-ray isotopes

Nature volume 272, pages 675–679 (1978)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 11 May 1978

Abstract

Cosmic rays provide information on the composition and structure of the Galaxy. Recent measurements suggest that the isotopic composition at the cosmic-ray sources is similar to that of the Solar System and that cosmic-ray acceleration follows nucleosynthesis after a considerable delay. Cosmic rays may therefore be a sample of the present interstellar medium rather than fresh supernova ejecta. Observations of the abundance of radioactive isotopes lead to a containment time of cosmic rays in the Galaxy an order of magnitude larger than had been suspected.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Enrico Fermi Institute and Department of Physics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637

    Peter Meyer

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Meyer, P. The cosmic-ray isotopes. Nature 272, 675–679 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/272675a0

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