Studies of anomalous cosmic ray oxygen ions in space and their ionization states in ANURADHA experiment in spacelab-3

Abstract

During April 29 to May 6, 1985, the Spacelab-3 mission of NASA was in orbit carrying among others, the Indian cosmic ray experiment ANURADHA. The major objectives of the experiment were the measurements of the fluxes and ionization states of anomalous cosmic rays by means of a time resolution device which in turn provided information of the arrival location and direction of the particles. This report presents the results of the measurements of ionization states of anomalous cosmic ray heavy ions by trajectory computation method. In the energy interval 15-20 MeV/N, we obtained ionization states of oxygen as +1. Also the orbit-average flux of oxygen ion indicates the charge state of +1. Both the methods show consistent results. Trajectory computations for few other ions of nitrogen and neon was also carried out which shows their ionization states as +1 or ≤ +2.