The cross sections for tritium production in various substances by 450-Mev and 2.05-Bev protons have been measured. The nitrogen and oxygen cross sections---25±{}4 mb and 30±{}4 mb, respectively, at 2.05 Bev---lead to a world-wide average tritium production rate by cosmic rays of 0.14_-0.03+0.10 tritons/cm² sec, in good agreement with the observed value. The iron cross section---53±{}8 mb at 2.05 Bev---suggests a rate of production of 8.8×{}10^-4 triton/g sec near the surface of a large meteorite in outer space. For the small Mt. Ayliff iron meteorite an age of 1.4×{}10⁹ years was calculated from the observed He³ content. Finally, the results for tritium production have been compared to those for other light particles.
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Currie et al. (1956) studied this question.