High resolution observations of cosmic rays of Z greater than or equal to 30

Results of two high altitude balloon flights of a 6.6 m2 steradian detector designed to measure the charge composition of the elements with 30 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 60 are reported. For charge groups with 30 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 60 we observe lower abundances of 30 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 32 and 32 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 34 and higher abundances of 35 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 39, 45 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 49, and 50 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 54 compared to previous measurements. Measurements of these abundances agree within one sigma with the solar system abundances apart from the significantly lower cosmic ray abundances of 30 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 32 and the less significant lower abundances of 32 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 34 and 40 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 44. Individual elemental abundances measured for 26 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 40 are consistent with the solar system composition apart from a significant underabundance of cosmic-ray zinc (Z = 30). A superposition of the theoretically postulated helium burning s-process and the r-process compositions, both the result of nucleosynthesis at supernovae, altered slightly by interstellar propagation, seem to fit the measurements, except for the underabundance of cosmic-ray zinc. It was impossible to distinguish between cosmic ray compositions resulting from the acceleration of solar system like interstellar material and those resulting from the acceleration of material synthesized in a supernova event. Finally, no evidence was observed for an energy dependence of the abundance ratios 30 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 32 to iron and 33 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 40 to iron over energy ranges 560 to 1030 MeV/amu and bigger than 590 MeV/ amu