A future plan in observing ultra-heavy nuclei (Z=30-110) of cosmic rays with large-scale collector at the lunar base

摘要

Lunar-based measurement of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) nuclei with a high precision is a challenging approach in cosmic ray research for the coming 20 years. This approach focuses to measure the elemental composition of Pt- and Pb-groups, actinide and possibly trans-uranic nuclei of Pu and Cm. The observation covers a wide range of scientific themes including the study on the origin of GCR nuclei, the characteristic time, heating and acceleration mechanism of GCR particles. A large-scaled particle telescope is required in order to measure those nuclides with high precision. Solid state nuclear track detectors (SSTDs) with a geometric factor of about 1000 m(2)sr allow us to measure them easily. Fluorescent nuclear track detector such as Al2O3 doped with C and Mg is the best candidate at present among SSTDs for a lunar-based experiment which is currently the focus of an international program of scientific investigation. A permanent sunshine region near crater at lunar polar region is thought to be an excellent site. A two-year-exposure by the large-scaled telescope would result in the detection of about 30,000 actinides in GCRs.