Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cosmic-ray production of deuterium, He3, lithium, beryllium, and boron in the Galaxy

  • Published:
Astrophysics and Space Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The production of deuterium, He3, lithium, beryllium, and boron by galactic cosmic rays in the interstellar medium, over the life of the Galaxy, is calculated. It is found that high-energy α-α reactions contribute in an essential way to the observed lithium. When allowance is made for the interchange of material between stars and the interstellar gas and for the change of cosmic-ray intensity with time, the Li6, Be9, and boron produced turn out to be ample to explain the observed abundances, and with remarkable internal consistency. Deuterium and He3 arenot produced in significant amounts, nor Li7 in sufficient amount, however. To explain the Li7/Li6 ratio measured terrestrially and in chondritic meteorites, we invoke cosmological production of Li7. This implies the production of deuterium, He3, and He4 as well, in amounts consistent with observation. The theory in its present form cannot explain a solar-system Li7/Li6 ratio of 12and stellar ratios as low as 3, but additional processes can be adduced to reconcile them. The consistency of the numbers when cosmological production is included lends additional support to the big-bang hypothesis. An incidental result is that the mean luminosity of the Galaxy over its lifetime has been about 3 times its present luminosity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen, C. W.: 1963,Astrophysical Quantities, Athlone Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anders, E.: 1963, inOrigin of the Solar System (ed. by R. Jastrow and A. G. W. Cameron), Academic Press, New York, p. 95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, P. T., Butler, P. G., Christy, A., James, A. N., Kirby, P., Lowe, B. G., and Renwick, B. W.: 1968,Nuclear Phys. A109, 689.

    Google Scholar 

  • Audouze, J., Epherre, M., and Reeves, H.: 1967,Internal Report IPN 91 (ORSAY).

  • Bahcall, J. N., Bahcall, N. A., and Shaviv, G.: 1968,Phys. Rev. Letters 20, 1209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barkas, W. H. and Berger, M. J.: 1964, inStudies in Penetration of Charged Particles in Matter (ed. by U. Fano) (Publication 1133 of NAS/NRC), Chap. 7.

  • Bashkin, S. and Peaslee, D. C.: 1961,Astrophys. J. 134, 981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernas, R., Gradsztajn, E., Reeves, H., and Schatzman, E.: 1967,Ann. Phys. 44, 426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bodenheimer, P.: 1965,Astrophys. J. 142, 751.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonsack, W. K. and Greenstein, J. L.: 1960,Astrophys. J. 131, 83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burbidge, E. M., Burbidge, G. R., Fowler, W. A., and Hoyle, F.: 1957,Rev. Mod. Phys. 29, 547.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burbidge, G.: 1969,Comm. Astrophys. Space Phys. 1, 101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, A. G. W.: 1969, inThe Origin and Distribution of the Elements (ed. by L. H. Ahrens), Pergamon Press, New York, p. 126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, W. B., de Laeter, J. R., Schwarz, H. P., and Shane, K. C.: 1970,J. Geophys. Res. 75, 448.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. G.: 1972,Astrophys. J. 171, 71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comstock, G. M., Fan, C. Y., and Simpson, J. A.: 1966,Astrophys. J. 146, 51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comstock, G. M., Fan, C. Y., and Simpson, J. A.: 1969,Astrophys. J. 155, 609.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig, R. M., Hird, B., Kost, C. J., and Li, T. Y.: 1967,Nuclear Phys. A96, 367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cumming, J. B.: 1963,Ann. Rev. Nuclear Sci. 13, 261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danziger, I. J.: 1969,Astrophys. Letters 3, 115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davids, C. N., Laumer, H., and Austin, S. M.: 1969,Phys. Rev. Letters 22, 1388.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davids, C. N., Laumer, H., and Austin, S. M.: 1970,Phys. Rev. C, 1, 270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epherre, M. and Gradsztajn, E.: 1967,J. Phys. 28, 48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fontes, P., Perron, C., Lestringuez, J., Yiou, F., and Bernas, R.: 1971,Nuclear Phys. A165, 405.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, W. A. Burbidge, G. R., and Burbidge, E. M.: 1955,Astrophys. J. Suppl. 2, 167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, W. A., Greenstein, J. L., and Hoyle, F.: 1962,Geophys. J. Roy. Astron. Soc. 6, 148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, I., O'Neil, J. R., Adami, L. H., Gleason, J. D., and Hardcastle, K.: 1970,Science 167, 538.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, M. L., Ramaty, R., and Fisk, L. A.: 1970a,Phys. Rev. Letters 24, 1193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, M. L., Fisk, L. A., and ramaty, R.: 1970bPhys. Rev. Letters 25, 832.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gradsztajn, E.: 1965,Ann. Phys. (Paris)10, 791.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenstein, J. L.: 1951,Astrophys. J. 113, 531.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grevesse, N.: 1968,Solar Phys. 5, 159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, R. J. and Harbison, S. A.: 1969,Astrophys. J. 158, 711.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunn, J. E. and Ostriker, J. P.: 1968,Phys. Rev. Letters 22, 728.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hauge, Ö. and Engvold, O.: 1968,Astrophys. Letters 2, 235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayakawa, S.: 1955,Prog. Theor. Phys. 13, 464.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayakawa, S.: 1968,Prog. Theor. Phys. (Japan), Suppl. Extra No., p. 156.

  • Herbig, G. H.: 1964,Astrophys. J. 140, 702.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herbig, G. H.: 1968,Z. Astrophys. 68, 243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hohenberg, C. M.: 1969,Science 166, 212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jung, M., Jacquot, C., Baixeras-Aiguabella, C., Schmitt, R., Braun H., and Girardin, L.: 1969,Phys. Rev. 188, 1517.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinman, T. D.: 1956,Monthly Notices Roy. Astron. Soc. 116, 77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krankowsky, D. and Müller, O.: 1964,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 28, 1625.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsden, P.: 1966,ESRO Scientific Memo 55.

  • Meyer, P.: 1969,Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 7, 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitler, H. E.: 1964,Phys. Rev. 136B, 298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitler, H. E.: 1967, inHigh Energy Nuclear Reactions in Astrophysics (ed. by B. S. P. Shen), W. J. Benjamin, Inc. New York, Ch. e.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitler, H. E.: 1970,SAO Special Report 323.

  • Nichiporuk, W. and Moore, C. B.: 1970,Earth Planetary Sci. Letters 9, 280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peach, J. V.: 1968,Monthly Notices Roy. Astron. Soc. 139, 403.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pepin, R. O. and Signer, P.: 1965,Science 149, 253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramaty, R. and Lingenfelter, R. E.: 1969,Astrophys. J. 155, 587.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeves, H.: 1970, Private communication.

  • Reeves, H., Fowler, W. A., and Hoyle, F.: 1970,Nature 226, 727.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salpeter, E. E.: 1955,Astrophys. J. 121, 161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, M.: 1959,Astrophys. J. 129, 243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, M. M.: 1962,Science 135, 175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, M. M. and Silberberg, R.: 1970,Ann. Rev. Nuclear Sci. 20, 323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shima, M. and Honda, M.: 1963,J. Geophys. Res. 68, 2849.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shklovsky, I. S.: 1953,Astron. Zh. 30, 577.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sill, C. W. and Willis, C. P.: 1962,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 26, 1209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stehney, A. F. and Steinberg, E. P.: 1968,Nuclear Phys. B5, 188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tayler, R. J.: 1967,Quart. J. Roy. Astron. Soc. 8, 313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Traub, W. and Roesler, F. L.: 1971,Astrophys. J. 163, 629.

    Google Scholar 

  • Truran, J. W., Hansen, C. W., and Cameron, A. G. W.: 1965,Can. J. Phys. 43, 1616.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagoner, R. V., Fowler, W. A., and Hoyle, F.: 1967,Astrophys. J. 148, 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallerstein, G. and Conti, P. S.: 1969,Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 7, 99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinreb, S.: 1962,Nature 195, 367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiehr, E., Stellmacher, G., and Schröter, E. H.: 1968,Astrophys. Letters 1, 181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, I. R. and Fulmer, C. B.: 1967,Phys. Rev. 154, 1005.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yiou, F., Baril, M., Dufaure De Citres, J., Fontes, P., Gradsztajn, E. and Bernas, R.: 1968a,Phys. Rev. 166, 4 968.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yiou, F., Dufaure De Citres, J., Frehel, F., Gradsztajn, E., and Bernas, R.: 1968a,Can. J. Phys. 46, S557.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yiou, F., Seide, C., and Bernas, R.: 1969,J. Geophys. Res. 74, 2447.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Mass., USA

    Henri E. Mitler

Authors
  1. Henri E. Mitler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mitler, H.E. Cosmic-ray production of deuterium, He3, lithium, beryllium, and boron in the Galaxy. Astrophys Space Sci 17, 186–218 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00642551

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00642551

Keywords

Search

Navigation