| 1. |
- Abdellaoui, G., et al.
(author)
-
Meteor studies in the framework of the JEM-EUSO program
- 2017
-
In: Planetary and Space Science. - : Elsevier. - 0032-0633 .- 1873-5088. ; 143, s. 245-255
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We summarize the state of the art of a program of UV observations from space of meteor phenomena, a secondary objective of the JEM-EUSO international collaboration. Our preliminary analysis indicates that JEM-EUSO, taking advantage of its large FOV and good sensitivity, should be able to detect meteors down to absolute magnitude close to 7. This means that JEM-EUSO should be able to record a statistically significant flux of meteors, including both sporadic ones, and events produced by different meteor streams. Being unaffected by adverse weather conditions, JEM-EUSO can also be a very important facility for the detection of bright meteors and fireballs, as these events can be detected even in conditions of very high sky background. In the case of bright events, moreover, exhibiting some persistence of the meteor train, preliminary simulations show that it should be possible to exploit the motion of the ISS itself and derive at least a rough 3D reconstruction of the meteor trajectory. Moreover, the observing strategy developed to detect meteors may also be applied to the detection of nuclearites, exotic particles whose existence has been suggested by some theoretical investigations. Nuclearites are expected to move at higher velocities than meteoroids, and to exhibit a wider range of possible trajectories, including particles moving upward after crossing the Earth. Some pilot studies, including the approved Mini-EUSO mission, a precursor of JEM-EUSO, are currently operational or in preparation. We are doing simulations to assess the performance of Mini-EUSO for meteor studies, while a few meteor events have been already detected using the ground-based facility EUSO-TA.
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| 2. |
- Ferrario, M., et al.
(author)
-
IRIDE : Interdisciplinary research infrastructure based on dual electron linacs and lasers
- 2014
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In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 740, s. 138-146
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper describes the scientific aims and potentials as well as the preliminary technical design of RUDE, an innovative tool for multi-disciplinary investigations in a wide field of scientific, technological and industrial applications. IRIDE will be a high intensity "particles factory", based on a combination of high duty cycle radio-frequency superconducting electron linacs and of high energy lasers. Conceived to provide unique research possibilities for particle physics, for condensed matter physics, chemistry and material science, for structural biology and industrial applications, IRIDE will open completely new research possibilities and advance our knowledge in many branches of science and technology. [RIDE is also supposed to be realized in subsequent stages of development depending on the assigned priorities.
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| 3. |
- Abdellaoui, G., et al.
(author)
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First observations of speed of light tracks by a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere
- 2018
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 1748-0221. ; 13
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- EUSO-Balloon is a pathfinder mission for the Extreme Universe Space Observatory onboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EUSO). It was launched on the moonless night of the 25(th) of August 2014 from Timmins, Canada. The flight ended successfully after maintaining the target altitude of 38 km for five hours. One part of the mission was a 2.5 hour underflight using a helicopter equipped with three UV light sources (LED, xenon flasher and laser) to perform an inflight calibration and examine the detectors capability to measure tracks moving at the speed of light. We describe the helicopter laser system and details of the underflight as well as how the laser tracks were recorded and found in the data. These are the first recorded laser tracks measured from a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere. Finally, we present a first reconstruction of the direction of the laser tracks relative to the detector.
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| 4. |
- Mocchiutti, E., et al.
(author)
-
Cosmic–ray positron energy spectrum measured by PAMELA
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA satellite borne experiment is designed to study cosmic rays with great accuracy in a wide energy range. One of PAMELA’s main goal is the study of the antimatter component of cosmic rays. The experiment, housed on board the Russian satellite Resurs–DK1, was launched on June 15th 2006 and it is still taking data. In this work we present the measurement of galactic positron energy spectrum in the energy range between 500 MeV and few hundred GeV.
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| 5. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
Antiprotons in primary cosmic radiation with PAMELA experiment
- 2013
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In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The latest measurements of antiprotons spectrum and antiproton-to-proton ratio in primary cosmic rays with PAMELA experiment are presented. They are in good agreement with model of secondary production of antiprotons in Galaxy, but they do not completely rule other sources at the high-energies.
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| 6. |
- Carbone, R., et al.
(author)
-
Pamela observation of the 2012 may 17 gle event
- 2013
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In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics) satellite-borne experiment has been collecting data in orbit since July 2006, providing accurate measurements of the energy spectra and composition of the cosmic radiation from a few hundred MeV/n up to hundred GeV/n. This wide interval of measured energies makes PAMELA a unique instrument for Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) observations. Not only does it span the energy range between the ground-based neutron monitor data and the observations of SEPs from space, but also PAMELA carries out the first direct measurements of the composition for the highest energy SEP events, including those causing Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs). PAMELA has registered many SEP events in solar cycle 24 including the 2012 May 17 GLE event (GLE 71), offering unique opportunities to address the question of high-energy SEP origin. Experimental performances and preliminary results on the 2012 May 17 events will be presented. We will discuss the derived particle injection time and compare with other time scales at the Sun including the flare and CME onset times.
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| 7. |
- Casolino, M., et al.
(author)
-
New upper limit on strange quark matter flux with the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this work we present a new upper limit for anomalous charge / mass (Z/A) particles with PAMELA experiment. These particles would exhibit a low velocity in the Time-of-Flight system and an high rigidity in the tracker. The redundant nature of the PAMELA detectors make it particularly suited to search for these particles in a mass number (10 ≤ A ≤ 105), charge (1≤ Z ≤ 8) and rigidity (0.4 ≤ R ≤ 1200 GV) range complementary to those of ground-based experiments.
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| 8. |
- Formato, V., et al.
(author)
-
Hydrogen and helium isotopes flux in cosmic rays with the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PAMELA is a satellite borne experiment designed to study with great accuracy cosmic rays of galactic, solar, and trapped nature, with particular focus on the antimatter component. The detector consists of a permanent magnet spectrometer core to provide rigidity and charge sign information, a Time-of-Flight system for velocity and charge information, a Silicon-Tungsten calorimeter and a Neutron detector for lepton/hadron identification. The beta and rigidity information allow to identify isotopes for Z = 1 and Z = 2 particles in the energy range 100 MeV/n to 1 GeV/n. In this work we will present the final PAMELA results on the H and He isotope fluxes measured during the 23rd solar minimum from 2006 to 2007. Such fluxes carry relevant information helpful in constraining parameters in galactic cosmic rays propagation models complementary to those obtained from other secondary to primary measurements such as the boron-to-carbon ratio.
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| 9. |
- Merge, M., et al.
(author)
-
Multi-particle analysis of the december 13th 2006 forbush decrease with PAMELA experiment
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper we present PAMELA multi-particle observation of the Forbush decrease (FD) following the December 13th 2006 solar particle event. The FD is the sudden decrease of the galactic cosmic ray flux due to the transit of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). The satellite-borne experiment PAMELA on-board Resurs-DK1 satellite and consist of a magnetic spectrometer with time-of-flight and calorimeter detectors. PAMELA can study in real time with high precision the temporal and energetic evolution of several particle fluence during and after crossing of the magnetic cloud generated by the CME. The effect is stronger than what detected on ground with neutron monitor. With flux reduction can be as high as 30% decreasing at 1.5GV. No difference of the FD has been found for different particles proving that there is no charge sign dependence of FD for this event.
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| 10. |
- Munini, R., et al.
(author)
-
Solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays electrons and positrons over the 23rd solar minimum with the pamela experiment
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The satellite-borne PAMELA experiment has been continuously collecting data since 15th June 2006, when it was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome to detect the charged component of cosmic rays over a wide energy range and with an unprecedented statistics. The apparatus design is particularly suited for particle and antiparticle identification. The satellite quasi-polar orbit, with an inclination of 70 degrees, allows particles to be measure down to 100 MeV/n. This makes the instrument suited for the investigation of phenomena related to galactic cosmic ray solar modulation in the inner heliosphere. Data for oppositely charged particles were collected from 2006 to 2009, during the A< 0 solar minimum of solar cycle 23. The time and rigidity dependence of galactic cosmic ray electron and positron fluxes were measured. These fluxes provide important information for the study of charge dependent solar modulation effects.
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| 11. |
- Ricci, M., et al.
(author)
-
Study on 2012 march 7 solar particle event and forbush decrease with the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astro-physics) space-borne experiment was launched on 15 June 2006 and has been continuously collecting data since then. The apparatus measures electrons, positrons, protons, anti-protons and heavier nuclei from about 100 MeV to several hundreds of GeV. The on-board instrumentation is built around a permanent magnet with a silicon microstrip tracker, providing charge and track detection information. During solar maximum conditions of solar cycle 24, PAMELA has been providing key information about solar energetic particles (SEPs) and their influence at Earth. We discuss here the recent 2012 March 7 SEP event with a brief comment on the subsequent Forbush decrease, registered by PAMELA. This event was also observed by Fermi/LAT exhibiting unprecedented time-extended γ-ray emission (> 100 MeV) lasting nearly 20 hours. We compare the derived accelerated ion population at the Sun with the ion population measured in space by PAMELA and discuss the implications for particle acceleration.
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| 12. |
- Di Felice, V., et al.
(author)
-
Solar modulation of galactic hydrogen and helium over the 23rd solar minimum with the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PAMELA has been orbiting the Earth for more than six years, gathering data on solar, galactic and trapped cosmic rays during the time of the last solar minimum. The apparatus comprises a time-of-flight system, a silicon-microstrip magnetic spectrometer, a silicon-tungsten electromagnetic calorimeter, an anticoincidence system, a shower tail catcher scintillator and a neutron detector. The combination of these devices allows charged particle and antiparticle identification over a wide energy range and with an unprecedented precision. The quasi-polar orbit of the instrument, with an inclination of 70 degrees, makes it possible to measure low energy particles starting from about 100 MeV/n. In this work we present the time and rigidity dependence of the galactic proton and helium fluxes over the first 4 years of operation during the A < 0 solar minimum of solar cycle 23.
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| 13. |
- Formato, V., et al.
(author)
-
Galactic boron and carbon fluxes measured by the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA experiment is a satellite-borne apparatus that performs measurements of the cosmic radiation with a particular focus on antiparticles and light nuclei. The heart of experiment is a magnetic spectrometer to measure the particle rigidity and sign of charge. A Time-of-Flight system, a Silicon-Tungsten calorimeter, and a neutron detector allow particle identification and lepton/hadron discrimination. The apparatus is surrounded by a set of anticoincidence scintillation counters to reject multi-particle events. In this work we will present the Boron and Carbon fluxes measured by PAMELA from July 2006 to March 2008. Such data, and in particular the B/C flux ratio, can help the modelling of the galactic cosmic rays propagation. This can be a crucial point in predicting the astrophysical background of antimatter (positrons and antiprotons) in cosmic rays in the search for a dark matter signal.
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| 14. |
- Munini, R., et al.
(author)
-
Evidence of Energy and Charge Sign Dependence of the Recovery Time for the 2006 December Forbush Event Measured by the PAMELA Experiment
- 2018
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 853:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- New results on the short-term galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) intensity variation (Forbish decrease) in 2006 December measured by the PAMELA instrument are presented. Forbush decreases are sudden suppressions of the GCR intensities, which are associated with the passage of interplanetary transients such as shocks and interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs). Most of the past measurements of this phenomenon were carried out with groundbased detectors such as neutron monitors or muon telescopes. These techniques allow only the indirect detection of the overall GCR intensity over an integrated energy range. For the first time, thanks to the unique features of the PAMELA magnetic spectrometer, the Forbush decrease, commencing on 2006 December 14 and following a CME at the Sun on 2006 December 13, was studied in a wide rigidity range (0.4-20 GV) and for different species of GCRs detected directly in space. The daily averaged GCR proton intensity was used to investigate the rigidity dependence of the amplitude and the recovery time of the Forbush decrease. Additionally, for the first time, the temporal variations in the helium and electron intensities during a Forbush decrease were studied. Interestingly, the temporal evolutions of the helium and proton intensities during the Forbush decrease were found to be in good agreement, while the low rigidity electrons (<2 GV) displayed a faster recovery. This difference in the electron recovery is interpreted as a charge sign dependence introduced by drift motions experienced by the GCRs during their propagation through the heliosphere.
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| 15. |
- Casolino, M., et al.
(author)
-
Two years of flight of the Pamela experiment : Results and perspectives
- 2009
-
In: Journal of the Physical Society of Japan. - 0031-9015 .- 1347-4073. ; 78:Suppl. A, s. 35-40
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PAMELA is a satellite borne experiment designed to study with great accuracy cosmic rays of galactic, solar, and trapped nature in a wide energy range (protons: 80 MeV-700 GeV, electrons 50 MeV-400 GeV). Main objective is the study of the antimatter component: antiprotons (80 MeV-190 GeV), positrons (50 MeV-270 GeV) and search for antinuclei with a precision of the order of 10~8). The experiment, housed on board the Russian Resurs-DKl satellite, was launched on June, 15th 2006 in a 350 x 600 km orbit with an inclination of 70 degrees. In this work we describe the scientific objectives and the performance of PAMELA in its first two years of operation. Data on protons of trapped, secondary and galactic nature - as well as measurements of the December 13th 2006 Solar Particle Event - are also provided.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
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A statistical procedure for the identification of positrons in the PAMELA experiment
- 2010
-
In: Astroparticle physics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0927-6505 .- 1873-2852. ; 34:1, s. 1-11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA satellite experiment has measured the cosmic-ray positron fraction between 1.5 GeV and 100 GeV. The need to reliably discriminate between the positron signal and proton background has required the development of an ad hoc analysis procedure. In this paper, a method for positron identification is described and its stability and capability to yield a correct background estimate is shown. The analysis includes new experimental data, the application of three different fitting techniques for the background sample and an estimate of systematic uncertainties due to possible inaccuracies in the background selection. The new experimental results confirm both solar modulation effects on cosmic-rays with low rigidities and an anomalous positron abundance above 10 GeV. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 18. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
Positrons and electrons in primary cosmic rays as measured in the PAMELA experiment
- 2009
-
In: Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Physics. - 1062-8738. ; 73:5, s. 568-570
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 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.
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| 19. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
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Secondary electron and positron fluxes in the near-Earth space observed in the ARINA and PAMELA experiments
- 2009
-
In: Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Physics. - 1062-8738. ; 73:3, s. 364-366
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Secondary electron and positron fluxes in the energy range from 3 MeV to 7 GeV were measured with the ARINA and PAMELA spectrometers onboard the Resurs-DK satellite launched on June 15, 2006 into an elliptical orbit with an inclination of 70.4° and an altitude of 350-600 km. It is shown that positrons dominate over electrons by a factor of up to 4-5 in the geomagnetic equator region (L < 1.2 and B > 0.25).
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| 20. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
The PAMELA Mission : Heralding a new era in precision cosmic ray physics
- 2014
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In: Physics reports. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-1573 .- 1873-6270. ; 544:4, s. 323-370
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- On the 15th of June 2006, the PAMELA (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics) satellite-borne experiment was launched onboard the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite by a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur space centre. The satellite was placed in a quasi-polar 70 degrees inclination orbit at an altitude varying between 350 km and 600 km. New results on the antiparticle component of the cosmic radiation were obtained. The positron energy spectrum and positron fraction were measured from 400 MeV up to 200 GeV revealing a positron excess over the predictions of commonly used propagation models. This can be interpreted either as evidence that the propagation models should be revised or in terms of dark matter annihilation or a pulsar contribution. The antiproton spectrum was measured over the energy range from 60 MeV to 350 GeV. The antiproton spectrum is consistent with secondary production and significantly constrains dark matter models. The energy spectra of protons and helium nuclei were measured up to 1.2 TV. The spectral shapes of these two species are different and cannot be described well by a single power law. For the First time the electron spectrum was measured up to 600 GeV complementing the information obtained from the positron data. Nuclear and isotopic composition was obtained with unprecedented precision. The variation of the low energy proton, electron and positron energy spectra was measured from July 2006 until December 2009 accurately sampling the unusual conditions of the most recent solar minimum activity period (2006-2009). Low energy particle spectra were accurately measured also for various solar events that occurred during the PAMELA mission. The Earth's magnetosphere was studied measuring the particle radiation in different regions of the magnetosphere. Energy spectra and composition of sub-cutoff and trapped particles were obtained. For the first time a belt of trapped antiprotons was detected in the South Atlantic Anomaly region. The flux was found to exceed that for galactic cosmic-ray antiprotons by three order of magnitude.
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| 21. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
The PAMELA space mission
- 2008
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In: Astroparticle, Part. Space Phys., Detect. Med. Phys. Appl. - Proc. Conf.. - : WORLD SCIENTIFIC. - 9812819088 - 9789812819086 ; , s. 858-864
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA (a Payload for Antimatter-Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics) experiment, is a satellite-borne particle spectrometer. It was launched on 15th June 2006 from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, is installed into the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite. PAMELA is composed of a time-of-flight system, a magnetic spectrometer, a silicon-tungsten electromagnetic calorimeter, an anticoincidence system, a shower tail catcher scintillator and a neutron detector. Among the PAMELA major objectives are the study of charged particles in the cosmic radiation, the investigation of the nature of dark matter, by mean of the measure of the cosmic-ray antiproton and positron spectra over the largest energy range ever achieved. PAMELA has been in a nearly continuous data taking mode since llth July 2006. The status of the apparatus and performances will be presented.
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| 22. |
- Bazilevskaya, G. A., et al.
(author)
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Solar proton events at the end of the 23rd and start of the 24th solar cycle recorded in the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
-
In: Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Physics. - 1062-8738. ; 77:5, s. 493-496
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA magnetic spectrometer was launched into a near-Earth orbit on board the Resurs-DK1 satellite in June 2006; in December 2006, it recorded the last strong solar high-energy particle event of the 23rd solar cycle. A deficit was thereafter observed in solar energetic particle events because of the lengthy solar activity minimum and the weak evolution of the next (24th) solar cycle. As a result, only a few solar events involving protons with energies of more than 100 MeV were recorded between 2010 and 1012. This work presents the preliminary results from measurements of charged particle fluxes in these events, recorded by the Pamela spectrometer.
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| 23. |
- Bisconti, F, et al.
(author)
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Mini-EUSO engineering model : Tests in open-sky condition
- 2019
-
In: 36th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2019. - : Sissa Medialab Srl.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mini-EUSO is a UV telescope that will look downwards to the Earth’s atmosphere onboard the International Space Station. With the design of the ultra-high energy cosmic ray fluorescence detectors belonging to the JEM-EUSO program, it will make the first UV map of the Earth by observing atmospheric phenomena such as transient luminous events, sprites and lightning, as well as meteors and bioluminescence from earth. Diffused light from laser shots from the ground, which mimic the fluorescence light emitted by Nitrogen molecules when extensive air showers pass through the atmosphere, can be used to verify the capability of this kind of detector to observe ultra-high energy cosmic rays. To validate the electronics and the trigger algorithms developed for Mini-EUSO, a scaled down version of the telescope with 1:9 of the original focal surface and a lens of 2.5 cm diameter has been built. Tests of the Mini-EUSO engineering model have been made in laboratory and in open sky condition. In this paper, we report results of observations of the night sky, which include the detection of stars, meteors, a planet and a rocket body reflecting the sunlight. Interesting results of the observation of city lights are also reported.
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| 24. |
- Bisconti, F., et al.
(author)
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Mini-EUSO engineering model : tests in open-sky condition
- 2021
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In: Proceedings of Science. - : Sissa Medialab Srl.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mini-EUSO is a UV telescope that will look downwards to the Earth's atmosphere onboard the International Space Station. With the design of the ultra-high energy cosmic ray fluorescence detectors belonging to the JEM-EUSO program, it will make the first UV map of the Earth by observing atmospheric phenomena such as transient luminous events, sprites and lightning, as well as meteors and bioluminescence from earth. Diffused light from laser shots from the ground, which mimic the fluorescence light emitted by Nitrogen molecules when extensive air showers pass through the atmosphere, can be used to verify the capability of this kind of detector to observe ultra-high energy cosmic rays. To validate the electronics and the trigger algorithms developed for Mini-EUSO, a scaled down version of the telescope with 1:9 of the original focal surface and a lens of 2.5 cm diameter has been built. Tests of the Mini-EUSO engineering model have been made in laboratory and in open sky condition. In this paper, we report results of observations of the night sky, which include the detection of stars, meteors, a planet and a rocket body reflecting the sunlight. Interesting results of the observation of city lights are also reported.
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| 25. |
- Bisconti, F., et al.
(author)
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Pre-flight qualification tests of the Mini-EUSO telescope engineering model
- 2022
-
In: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer Nature. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 53:1, s. 133-158
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mini-EUSO is part of the JEM-EUSO program and operates on board the International Space Station (ISS). It is a UV-telescope with single-photon counting capability looking at nighttime downwards to the Earth through a nadir-facing UV-transparent window. As part of the pre-flight tests, the Mini-EUSO engineering model, a telescope with 1/9 of the original focal surface and a lens of 2.5 cm diameter, has been built and tested. Tests of the Mini-EUSO engineering model have been made in laboratory and in open-sky conditions. Laboratory tests have been performed at the TurLab facility, located at the Physics Department of the University of Turin, equipped with a rotating tank containing different types of materials and light sources. In this way, the configuration for the observation of the Earth from space was emulated, including the Mini-EUSO trigger schemes. In addition to the qualification and calibration tests, the Mini-EUSO engineering model has also been used to evaluate the possibility of using a JEM-EUSO-type detector for applications such as observation of space debris. Furthermore, observations in open-sky conditions allowed the studies of natural light sources such as stars, meteors, planets, and artificial light sources such as airplanes, satellites reflecting the sunlight, and city lights. Most of these targets could be detected also with Mini-EUSO. In this paper, the tests in laboratory and in open-sky conditions are reported, as well as the obtained results. In addition, the contribution that such tests provided to foresee and improve the performance of Mini-EUSO on board the ISS is discussed.
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