This award supports a two-year U.S.-Japan cooperative research project between Professors John Wefel and Michael Cherry, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, and Professor Takeshi Ogata, Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo. It is part of the Japanese-American Cooperative Emulsion Experiment (JACEE), which began in 1978 to investigate the physics of high energy nucleus-nucleus interactions at energies above those available at accelerators and for studying the nuclear composion of primary cosmic rays extending up to the extensive air shower (EAS) region. The JACEE Collaboration involves four institutions in the United States and eight in Japan. Japan produces the world's highest quality nuclear emulsion and Japanese researchers pioneered the use of emulsion chambers. Scientists in the United States have developed the technology for high altitude balloon flights, including the newest Long Duration Ballooning (LDB) capability. Laboratories in both countries are well equipped to carry out detailed microscope measurements involved in analyzing particle events in emulsion chambers. This grant will permit the U.S. investigators to travel to collaborating institutions in Japan. Contributing to this grant is the NSF Division of Physics, which will support shipping costs and the costs of travel of the investigators to the site of balloon flights in Australia.
