Searching for energetic cosmic axions in a laboratory experiment

Astrophysical sources of energetic gamma rays provide the right conditions for maximal mixing between (pseudo)scalar (axion-like) particles and photons if their coupling is strong enough. This is independent of whether or not the axion interaction is standard at all energies or becomes suppressed in the extreme conditions of the stellar interior. The flux of such particles through the Earth could be observed using a metre long, Tesla strength superconducting solenoid. The rate of events in CAST caused by axions from the Crab pulsar is also estimated. PACS 14.80.Mz; 98.70.Rz; 95.85.Ry     

寻找BATSEγ暴的TeV能区伴随γ暴

利用西藏ASγ实验三期阵列的重建数据，对25个BATSEγ暴的TeV能区伴随γ暴进行了符合寻找。在BATSEγ暴方向的90％误差范围内，找出在给定的小天区和时间间隔内出现的显著性较高的TeV事例团，并采用“等天顶角方法”来估计背景。发现少量事例团对背景有明显超出，考虑试验次数后，其超出还不足以认定为γ暴。通过Monte Carlo模拟给出了95％置信水平下流强上限的估计值为7．1×10^-9photons／（cm^2·s）。Searching for TeV burst-like events coincident with the BATSE GRBs data was made by using the ASγ （Tibet-Ⅲ） data. In the period we analysed, there were 25 BATSE GRBs in the field view of Tibet. A search region was defined by the BATSE 90% confidence level positioning error. A GRB candidate was chosen as a shower cluster appearing in a given small sky window and a given time interval. An equi-zenith-angle method was used to estimate the background. No significant TeV GRBs were detected. The flux upper limit at the 95% confidence level was estimated to be about 7.1×10^-9 γ（cm^2·s） by Monte Carlo simulation.     

Positrons and electrons in primary cosmic rays as measured in the PAMELA experiment

The PAMELA experiment is being carried out on board the Russian satellite Resurs DK1 placed in the near-earth near-polar orbit on June 15, 2006. The apparatus comprising a silicon-strip magnetic spectrometer and an electromagnetic calorimeter allows measurement of electron and positron fluxes in cosmic rays in a wide energy interval from ～100 MeV to hundreds of GeV. The high-energy electron and positron separation technique is discussed and the data on positron-to-electron ratio in primary cosmic rays up to E ≈ 10 GeV from the 2006–2007 measurements are reported in this work.     

Direction of the anisotropy vector of TeV cosmic rays

The preliminary results of measuring the direction of the stellar anisotropy vector of cosmic rays with the Carpet array at the Baksan Neutrino Observatory (Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences) are presented. The direction of the anisotropy vector is determined by analyzing the distribution of time delays of the signal from distant detectors of the array with respect to its central part. It is shown that the anisotropy vector has the direction α₀ (R.A.) ≈ 1.5 h, δ₀ ≈ 62° in the equatorial coordinate system. At such a direction, the CR anisotropy measured with the Baksan Underground Scintillation Telescope and the Andyrchi array is ≈0.2%.     

TeV γ 暴搜寻中最优窗口角半径的探讨

作为搜寻TeVγ暴最主要的观测手段—广延大气簇射阵列,其阵列角分辨值常用于确定搜寻窗口的大小.为了在一个合理大小的窗口内对TeVγ暴进行搜寻,本文从理论上推导出一个统计意义上的最优窗口角半径,然后用Monte Carlo方法进行了模拟验证.结合入射信号强度、背景强度、计算显著性的不同方法等因素,进一步对窗口角半径进行了讨论.并在小统计情况下,给出了计算显著性的经验公式.     

Lateral distribution of EAS muons measured for the primary cosmic ray energy around 100 TeV

The muonic component of the extensive air showers (EAS) is of great importance for the astroparticle physics. It carries the information about the properties of primary cosmic ray (CR) particles, such as their mass, and electromagnetic and hadronic nature. It provides a sensitive test for the hadronic interaction models, which are inevitable for describing the cascade shower development of cosmic rays in EAS experiments. The YangBaJing Hybrid Array (YBJ-HA) experiment has been in operation since the end of 2016. Surface detectors are used for the measurements of primary energy, angular direction and core position of a shower event, while underground muon detectors are used for measuring the density of muons at various locations. Using the data obtained by the YBJ-HA experiment,this work reports the first measurement of the lateral muon distribution for the primary cosmic ray energy in the 100TeV region. The punch-through effect is evaluated via MC simulation.     

Searching for CPT violation with cosmic microwave background data from WMAP and BOOMERANG

We search for signatures of Lorentz and violations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropies by using the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) and the 2003 flight of BOOMERANG (B03) data. We note that if the Lorentz and symmetries are broken by a Chern-Simons term in the effective Lagrangian, which couples the dual electromagnetic field strength tensor to an external four-vector, the polarization vectors of propagating CMB photons will get rotated. Using the WMAP data alone, one could put an interesting constraint on the size of such a term. Combined with the B03 data, we found that a nonzero rotation angle of the photons is mildly favored: [Formula: See Text].     

Searching for high-energy gamma emissions from cosmic gamma ray bursts

We present the results from our search for gamma ray bursts of high energy with the Andyrchy air shower array of the Baksan Neutrino Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute for Nuclear Research using experimental data for the period 1996–2006 (live time, 2290 days). These data were recorded by the array in the mode of detecting single-particle components of cosmic rays.     

Advanced GAMMA-400 γ-ray telescope for recording cosmic γ rays with energies up to 3 TeV

The results of calculation and measurements performed on prototypes of the calorimeter, time-of-flight, and coordinate systems of the advanced GAMMA-400 γ-ray telescope, designed for studying diffuse cosmic γ rays and search for γ-ray lines arising after annihilation of neutralinos (dark matter particles), are reported.     

用地面阵列寻找TeV能区γ点源的方法探讨

文中探讨搜寻TeV能区γ点源的方法.讨论利用student变量t判断来自源区及背景区宇宙线事例的统计差别,并由Bayes定理与MonteCarlo模拟相结合计算源区各能段的信号数,推算蟹状星云在TeV能区的γ射线微分能谱     

Investigating the separatrices for the runaway threshold of cosmic ray electrons in a thunderstorm atmosphere

Using a modified GEANT4 code, we calculated the probabilities for cosmic ray electrons to become runaway particles in an electric field with a strength ranging from 0 to 5 kV/cm. About 10 million trajectories were calculated for particles with initial energies of 0.1 to 100 MeV. Instead of a single separatrix determining the region of runaway electrons, a set of curves connecting points with equal probabilities of a runaway regime (from 0 to 100%) was obtained. It was shown that not only is the threshold for a runaway regime probabilistic in character, but the critical field as well. This must be considered when calculating variations in the intensity of cosmic rays during thunderstorms.     

Energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons above 10 TeV according to BUST data

The energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons in the range of several TeV to PeV obtained through the analysis of multiple interactions of muons (the pair meter technique) in the Baksan Underground Scintillation Telescope (BUST) is presented. Results are compared with prior BUST data on the muon energy spectrum measurements and data of other experiments, along with calculations for different muon spectrum models.     

Ultra-high energy cosmic rays and prompt TeV gamma rays from gamma ray bursts

Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) have been proposed as one possible class of sources of the ultrahigh energy cosmic ray (UHECR) events observed up to energies ≳ 10²⁰ eV. The synchrotron radiation of the highest energy protons accelerated within the GRB source should produce gamma rays up to TeV energies. Here we briefly discuss the implications on the energetics of the GRB from the point of view of the detectability of the prompt TeV γ-rays of proton-synchrotron origin in GRBs in the up-coming ICECUBE muon detector in the south pole.     

Test of cosmic spatial isotropy for polarized electrons using a rotatable torsion balance

To test the cosmic spatial isotropy, we use a rotatable torsion balance carrying a transversely spin-polarized ferrimagnetic Dy6Fe23 mass. With a rotation period of 1 h, the period of anisotropy signal is reduced from one sidereal day by about 24 times, and hence the 1/f noise is reduced. Our present experimental results constrain the cosmic anisotropy Hamiltonian H=C(1)sigma(1)+C2sigma(2)+C3sigma(3) (sigma(3) is in the axis of earth rotation) to (C(2)(1)+C(2)(2))(1/2)=(1.1+/-2.0)x10(-20) eV and /C(3)/=(1.1+/-6.0)x10(-19) eV. This improves the previous limits on (C(2)(1)+C(2)(2))(1/2) by 27 times.     

Radiobiological investigations of cosmic HZE-particles with visual track detectors in the biostack experiment

The aim of the Biostack, namely, to contribute to a dosimetry of the HZE-particles as the highly structured component of the cosmic radiation, leads to a variety of physical and biological requirements in order to achieve that goal. The temporal, spatial and atomic characteristics of that radiation field rendered visual track detectors with the capability of individually recording and correlating single hit events as the most suitable physical detectors. One of the objects selected had been the spores of Bacillus sub tills, which were flown in the missions of Apollo 16, 17 and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). A substantial biological improvement was the development of routine methods which allowed the investigation of various biological endpoints of one individual spore together with a more precise determination of its impact parameter with respect to the path of the heavy ion. Preliminary results of the ASTP experiment are presented which strongly support the findings of the previous Biostack experiments     

Criteria for selecting electrons with energies above 50 GeV according to the PAMELA experiment data

To separate the particles such as electrons and positrons, which are insignificant in number, from the total particle flux of cosmic rays, reliable enough criteria of their selection should be found. The proposed selection technique based on such criteria as the interaction in the first calorimeter layers, difference in the energy release for protons and electrons, and the measured number of neutrons makes it possible to separate electrons from the total charged particle flux with an impurity fraction no larger than 2% of the electron flux.     

The Carpet-3 experiment to search for diffuse gamma rays with energies of more than 100 TeV

An experiment for measuring the flux of cosmic diffuse gamma rays with energies above 100 TeV (the Carpet-3 air shower array) is now being prepared at the Baksan Neutrino Observatory, Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences. The preparations entail a substantial increase of the areas of both the muon detector and the surface air shower array. The experiment’s sensitivity to showers generated by primary gamma rays is estimated for different configurations of the array. In addition, preliminary estimates of the upper limit on the flux of diffuse gamma rays with energies higher than 1.3 PeV, derived using experimental data from the old Carpet-2 array, are presented for a net exposure time of 9.2 years.