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

The interaction mean-free paths and fragmentation parameters associated with collisions of nuclei of Z?6 and E?7·5 Gev/n have been measured using emulsion-graphite sandwich stacks exposed to the primary cosmic radiation at Hyderabad, India (Geomagnetic latitudeλ=7·6° N). The results are based on a total of 213 nuclear interactions observed in graphite. Since the atomic number of graphite is very close to the mean atomic number of air, the parameters derived for graphite medium are directly applicable to air. A comparative study has been made of the results thus obtained with similar data available for nuclei of E?1·5 Gev/n.