A Multiple Scattering-Based Technique for Isotopic Identification in Cosmic Rays

Abstract

Analyzing the isotopic composition of cosmic rays (CRs) provides valuable insights into the galactic environment and helps refine existing propagation models. A particular interest is devoted to secondary-to-primary ratios of light isotopic components of CRs, the measurement of which can provide complementary information with respect to secondary-to-primary ratios like B/C. Given the complexity of the concurrent measurement of velocity and momentum required to differentiate isotopes of the same Z, a task typically accomplished using magnetic spectrometers, existing measurements of these ratios only effectively characterize the low-energy region (below 1 GeV/nucl). This study introduces a novel technique for isotopic distinction in CRs at high energies up to 100 GeV/nucl based on multiple scattering, which, combined with the proposed measurement of velocity, represent an interesting alternative to magnetic spectrometers. The performance of this technique was assessed through a dedicated simulation using the GEANT4 package, with specific emphasis on Z = 1 isotopes.