Investigations on multiply charged nuclei of the primary cosmic radiation near the geomagnetic equator using nuclear emulsions

The charge spectrum obtained from measurements made on tracks of 1329 nuclei of the cosmic radiation of Z⩾6 and E⩾7·5 GeV/n has been studied in detail using emulsion stacks exposed over Hyderabad, India (cut off rigidity=16·8 GV) at a depth of 6·8 g/cm2 of air for 7¼ hrs. This spectrum has been compared with that available for nuclei of E≥1·5 GeV/n. Within the limits of experimental errors, no dependence of the flux values or ratios of intensities with energy are noticed. This result has important implications on the origin and history of the cosmic radiation. Integral energy spectra of M and H-nuclei have been derived making use of the flux values at the two locations; the spectra thus derived have the least errors associated with these.