PAMELA spectrometer data processing

The international space experiment PAMELA was started in the mid-2006 and was finished in the beginning of 2016. The main objective of the experiment was the study of the cosmic ray spectra and elemental composition (including antiproton and positron spectra) in a wide energy range. The main instrument of the PAMELA device is a spectrometer including several detectors. Since the case in point here is the technique of processing the results for high-energy particles (protons, α-particles with energies E ≥ 50 GeV/nucleon, electrons and positrons with E ≥ 50 GeV), the three detectors were mostly used in data processing: a tracker placed into a dc magnetic field, a calorimeter, and a neutron detector. A relatively simple technique for separating electrons and positrons from the total flux of charged particles arriving at the spectrometer and a technique for determining the energy of these particles and constructing their energy spectra are described. This paper is based on the results presented in [1].     

Measurement of the high-energy electron and positron spectrum in the PAMELA experiment

The PAMELA magnetic spectrometer onboard the Resurs DK1 satellite no. 1 was put into (Earth) orbit on June 15, 2006; measurements continue at the present time. The scientific objective of the spectrometer is the study of antiproton, proton, positron, electron and light nucleus fluxes in cosmic rays. In this paper, we present the technique for measuring electron and positron spectra in the energy range from 20 to 800 GeV.     

Observations of Trapped Electrons and Positrons with E > 50 MeV in the Inner Radiation Belt by the PAMELA Magnetic Spectrometer

Geomagnetically trapped electrons and positrons with energy above 50 MeV were observed in PAMELA experiment on board Resurs DK satellite. The instrument consists of magnetic spectrometer, imaging electromagnetic calorimeter, time-of-flight system, anticoincidence and neutron detectors that provide unique particle identification and background rejection. PAMELA was collecting data since June 2006 till January 2016. The satellite orbit with initial altitude 350–600 km and inclination 70° crosses the inner radiation belt in South Atlantic Anomaly at L-shell ∼1.2. The trapped electrons and positrons were selected on the basis of a trajectory simulation in the Earth magnetic field. Features of the energy spectra of electrons and positrons at low energies are analyzed.

     

Cosmic-ray antiproton constraints on light singlino-like dark matter candidates

The CoGeNT experiment, dedicated to direct detection of dark matter, has recently released excess events that could be interpreted as elastic collisions of ∼10 GeV dark matter particles, which might simultaneously explain the still mysterious DAMA/LIBRA modulation signals, while in conflict with results from other experiments such as CDMS, XENON-100 and SIMPLE. It was shown that 5-15 GeV singlino-like dark matter candidates arising in singlet extensions of minimal supersymmetric scenarios can fit these data; annihilation then mostly proceeds into light singlet-dominated Higgs (pseudo-)scalar fields. We develop an effective Lagrangian approach to confront these models with the existing data on cosmic-ray antiprotons, including the latest PAMELA data. Focusing on a parameter space consistent with the CoGeNT region, we show that the predicted antiproton flux is generically in tension with the data whenever the produced (pseudo-)scalars can decay into quarks energetic enough to produce antiprotons, provided the annihilation S-wave is significant at freeze out in the early universe. In this regime, a bound on the singlino annihilation cross section is obtained, 〈σv〉?¹⁰−26 cm³/s, assuming a dynamically constrained halo density profile with a local value of ρ_⊙=0.4 GeV/cm³. Finally, we provide indications on how PAMELA or AMS-02 could further constrain or detect those configurations producing antiprotons which are not yet excluded.     

A radial compression scheme for cooled antiprotons

A novel method is proposed for achieving a fast and efficient radial compression of antiproton clouds trapped and cooled in high magnetic field. The basic operation takes place in a low field solenoid during the transfer of the cooled antiprotons from one trap to the next. It makes use of a special device that imparts to the particles a transverse momentum which compensates exactly their initial generalized momentum. They can therefore be focused onto the solenoid axis and injected in the next high field region with a relatively small radial envelope. After standard trapping and cooling procedures a strongly radial extension is obtained. The operation can be repeated to lead to very small size of the final antiproton cloud. It can be estimated that an initial 1 cm radial extension can be reduced to 1 mm in a first stage and to less than 0.1 mm in a second stage. In this way highest densities (approaching the space charge limit) of trapped antiprotons can be obtained in a relatively short time.     

Review of the results of measurements of the fluxes of the charged components of galactic cosmic rays in the experiments PAMELA and AMS-02

The paper provides a review of the results of precision measurements of the fluxes of different charged components of galactic cosmic rays (positrons and antiprotons, protons and helium nuclei) in modern experiments with magnetic spectrometers PAMELA and AMS-02, operating successfully for a few years (since 2006 and 2011, respectively) in Earth orbit. A priority of the PAMELA spectrometer scientific discoveries is noted. It is also noted that the measurements from the AMS-02 experiment are of high statistical accuracy and have reliably confirmed previous data, having been able to advance to a higher energy range.     

An alternative for polarized antiproton beams

Presently the most popular way to prepare high quality polarized antiproton beams is the so called spin filter method. The feasibility of the method has been proven for a proton beam and measurements of the spin dependent interaction of antiprotons have been proposed by the PAX collaboration. Another well known source for polarized antiprotons is the $\bar{\Lambda}$ decay which was used at FERMILAB in the only experiment performed so far with polarized antiprotons. An alternative approach for polarized antiproton beams may be the production process itself. If the produced antiprotons show polarization it would be rather simple to handle a polarized antiproton beam in the existing antiproton collector and cooler at CERN just like in the unpolarized case.     

Measurement of the total spectrum of electrons and positrons in the energy range of 300–1500 GeV in the PAMELA experiment with the aid of a sampling calorimeter and a neutron detector

A method based on the use of a sampling calorimeter was developed for measuring the total energy spectrum of electrons and positrons from high-energy cosmic rays in the PAMELA satellite-borne experiment. This made it possible to extend the range of energies accessible to measurements by the magnetic system of the PAMELA spectrometer. Themethod involves a procedure for selecting electrons on the basis of features of a secondary-particle shower in the calorimeter. The results obtained by measuring the total spectrum of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons in the energy range of 300–1500 GeV by the method in question are presented on the basis of data accumulated over a period spanning 2006 and 2013.

     

Portable trap carries particles 5000 kilometers

Electrons suspended in a Penning trap were transported more than 5000 km, all the way across the continental United States. The magnetic field was provided by a persistent superconducting solenoid at 4.7 T which was not connected to any source of power during travel. The electric field was produced using ordinary 9 V batteries. A good vacuum, expected to be sufficient to keep antiprotons stored indefinitely, was maintained within the trap by keeping it at 4 K. Portable traps are of interest for experiments which require small numbers of antiprotons for precise studies, for acceleration to energies not available at the LEAR antiproton source, for experiments with large immovable detectors, and for possible medical applications. The portable apparatus is so similar to that used to contain low energy antiprotons, that the trip demonstrates the feasibility of transporting cold antiprotons over large distances in portable traps.     

The magnetic moment of the antiproton

A scheme is proposed with which it may be possible to utilize extremely cold antiprotons in a Penning trap to measure the magnetic moment of an antiproton.     

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.     

Antiproton production in heavy-ion collisions at subthreshold energies

Within the framework of the Lanzhou quantum molecular dynamics model,the deep subthreshold antiproton production in heavy-ion collisions has been investigated thoroughly.The elastic scattering,annihilation and charge exchange reactions associated with antiproton channels are implemented in the model.The attractive antiproton potential extracted from the G-parity transformation of nucleon selfenergies reduces the threshold energies in meson-baryon and baryon-baryon collisions,and consequently enhances the antiproton yields to some extent.The calculated invariant spectra are consistent with the available experimental data.The primordial antiproton yields increase with the mass number of the colliding system.However,annihilation reactions reduce the antiproton production which becomes independent of the colliding partners.Anti-flow phenomena of antiprotons correlated with the mean field potential and annihilation mechanism is found by comparing them with the proton flows.Possible experiments at the high-intensity heavy-ion accelerator facility(HIAF) in China are discussed.     

PAMELA spectrum of electrons and positrons of cosmic rays in the energy range of 0.05–1.2 TeV

A proprietary method is used to process measurement data from a high-energy particle (protons, electrons, and positrons with Е ≥ 50 GeV) spectrometer in a near-Earth orbit. The data from three detector systems are used: a tracker in a constant magnetic field (TRK), a calorimeter (CAL), and a neutron detector (ND). A relatively simple and efficient way of isolating electrons and positrons from the total charged particle flux entering the PAMELA spectrometer is proposed. A technique for determining the energy of isolated primary particles and retrieving their energy spectra is described. The composite electron and positron spectrum (below, the total electron and positron flux is referred to simply as the electron flux) for energies up to 1.5 TeV is presented.     

Measurement method of the antiproton gravitational mass using the single electron transistor

We propose a non-destructive method to measure the trajectory of a single antiproton in a drift tube using position sensors based on the single electron transistor. We show that this recently developed device has sufficient sensitivity to detect the electric field of a moving charged particle. Comparing the trajectories of antiprotons and H⁻ ions could allow a reliable determination of the gravitational mass of the antiproton. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Evidence for the production of slow antiprotonic hydrogen in vacuum

We present evidence showing how antiprotonic hydrogen, the quasistable antiproton (p)-proton bound system, has been synthesized following the interaction of antiprotons with the molecular ion H2+ in a nested Penning trap environment. From a careful analysis of the spatial distributions of antiproton annihilation events, evidence is presented for antiprotonic hydrogen production with sub-eV kinetic energies in states around n=70, and with low angular momenta. The slow antiprotonic hydrogen may be studied using laser spectroscopic techniques.     

Driven production of cold antihydrogen and the first measured distribution of antihydrogen states

Cold antihydrogen is produced when antiprotons are repeatedly driven into collisions with cold positrons within a nested Penning trap. Efficient antihydrogen production takes place during many cycles of positron cooling of antiprotons. A first measurement of a distribution of antihydrogen states is made using a preionizing electric field between separated production and detection regions. Surviving antihydrogen is stripped in an ionization well that captures and stores the freed antiproton for background-free detection.     

AD performance and its extension towards ELENA

The CERN’s Antiproton Decelerator (AD) is devoted to special experiments with low energy antiprotons. A main topic is the antihydrogen production with the present aim to produce these antimatter atoms with such low energy that they can be trapped in a magnetic gradient field. First very convincing results have been published recently by ALPHA. Still, it appears to be cumbersome, time consuming and ineffective when collecting the needed large numbers and high densities of antiproton clouds with the present AD. Both the effectiveness and the availability for additional experiments at this unique facility would drastically increase, if the antiproton beam of presently 5 MeV kinetic energy would be reduced by an additional decelerator to something like 100 keV. Such a facility ”ELENA”, as an abbreviation for Extra Low ENergy Antiproton Ring and first discussed in 1982 for LEAR, was freshly proposed with a substantial new design and revised layout and is presently under consideration. ELENA will increase the number of useful antiprotons by up to two orders of magnitude and will allow to serve up to four experiments in parallel.     

Particle detectors for the future antiproton Paul trap of the ASACUSA experiment at CERN

Two detectors which will be used to commission a superconducting radiofrequency Paul trap for antiprotons, now being constructed at CERN and MPQ, are described. One is a microwire secondary electron emission monitor which will nondestructively measure the spatial profile of a low energy (E= 10?100 keV) antiproton beam. The other is a system of electromagnetic shower counters which will detect the secondary particles emerging from the antiproton annihilations occurring in the trap.     

Autoresonant excitation of antiproton plasmas

We demonstrate controllable excitation of the center-of-mass longitudinal motion of a thermal antiproton plasma using a swept-frequency autoresonant drive. When the plasma is cold, dense, and highly collective in nature, we observe that the entire system behaves as a single-particle nonlinear oscillator, as predicted by a recent theory. In contrast, only a fraction of the antiprotons in a warm plasma can be similarly excited. Antihydrogen was produced and trapped by using this technique to drive antiprotons into a positron plasma, thereby initiating atomic recombination.