On the application of accelerators in space sciences

The extremely heavy ions and superheavies are produced in nature (cosmos/galactic spaces) in nucleosynthesis processes. But the measurement of their charge is extremely complicated. For calibration of track lengths the accelerators play a great role. Various heavy ions upto Z=92 (uranium) produced by the accelerators create track length in meteoritic material (SSNTD) and are used for estimating the unknown charges of the heavy ions irradiating the meteorites while in space for several thousand years. About 20 stony iron meteoritic pallacites (having charge threshold, Z ≥ 20) have been analysed and partially annealed at high temperatures for several hours in order to create fading in latent tracks and develop a new charge threshold of almost Z ≥ 50 for the study of heavy galactic nuclei and superheavies (Z∼114) in Nature. Scanning of about 8 cm3 (volume) of meteoritic crystals gives about 580 U-group tracks and 6-7 superheavy elements. This study also infers that the uranium ion concentration in galactic spaces of the cosmos is more as compared to the solar system uranium abundance. (author). 13 refs., 4 tabs., 5 figs