Actinides and the sources of cosmic rays

Abstract

The abundances of the actinide elements in the cosmic rays can provide critical constraints on the major sites of their acceleration. Using recent calculations of the r-process yields in core-collapse supernovae (SNe), we have determined the actinide abundances averaged over various assumed time intervals for their supernovae generation and their cosmic-ray acceleration. Using standard Galactic chemical evolution models, we have also determined the expected actinide abundances in the present interstellar medium. From these two components, we have calculated the U/Th and other actinide abundances expected in the SN-active cores of superbubbles, as a function of their ages and mean metallicity. We calculate the expected actinide abundances in cosmic-rays accelerated by Galactic SNe. We find that the current measurements of actinide/Pt-group and preliminary estimates of the UPuCM/Th ratio in cosmic rays are all consistent with the expected values if superbubble cores have mean metallicities of around three times solar. Future measurements of the abundance ratios will help to solve these questions. First results of experiments performed on the MIR space station (ECCO) and with balloon flights (TIGER) are promising.