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- Buitink, S., et al.
(author)
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A large light-mass component of cosmic rays at 1017–1017.5 electronvolts from radio observations
- 2016
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 531:7592, s. 70-73
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cosmic rays are the highest-energy particles found in nature. Measurements of the mass composition of cosmic rays with energies of 1017–1018 electronvolts are essential to understanding whether they have galactic or extragalactic sources. It has also been proposed that the astrophysical neutrino signal1 comes from accelerators capable of producing cosmic rays of these energies2. Cosmic rays initiate air showers—cascades of secondary particles in the atmosphere—and their masses can be inferred from measurements of the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum3 (Xmax; the depth of the air shower when it contains the most particles) or of the composition of shower particles reaching the ground4. Current measurements5 have either high uncertainty, or a low duty cycle and a high energy threshold. Radio detection of cosmic rays6, 7, 8 is a rapidly developing technique9 for determining Xmax (refs 10, 11) with a duty cycle of, in principle, nearly 100 per cent. The radiation is generated by the separation of relativistic electrons and positrons in the geomagnetic field and a negative charge excess in the shower front6, 12. Here we report radio measurements of Xmax with a mean uncertainty of 16 grams per square centimetre for air showers initiated by cosmic rays with energies of 1017–1017.5 electronvolts. This high resolution in Xmax enables us to determine the mass spectrum of the cosmic rays: we find a mixed composition, with a light-mass fraction (protons and helium nuclei) of about 80 per cent. Unless, contrary to current expectations, the extragalactic component of cosmic rays contributes substantially to the total flux below 1017.5 electronvolts, our measurements indicate the existence of an additional galactic component, to account for the light composition that we measured in the 1017–1017.5 electronvolt range.
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- Schellart, P., et al.
(author)
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Probing Atmospheric Electric Fields in Thunderstorms through Radio Emission from Cosmic-Ray-Induced Air Showers
- 2015
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 114:16, s. 1-5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present measurements of radio emission from cosmic ray air showers that took place during thunderstorms. The intensity and polarization patterns of these air showers are radically different from those measured during fair-weather conditions. With the use of a simple two-layer model for the atmospheric electric field, these patterns can be well reproduced by state-of-the-art simulation codes. This in turn provides a novel way to study atmospheric electric fields.
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- Nelles, A., et al.
(author)
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Calibrating the absolute amplitude scale for air showers measured at LOFAR
- 2015
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Air showers induced by cosmic rays create nanosecond pulses detectable at radio frequencies. These pulses have been measured successfully in the past few years at the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and are used to study the properties of cosmic rays. For a complete understanding of this phenomenon and the underlying physical processes, an absolute calibration of the detecting antenna system is needed. We present three approaches that were used to check and improve the antenna model of LOFAR and to provide an absolute calibration of the whole system for air shower measurements. Two methods are based on calibrated reference sources and one on a calibration approach using the diffuse radio emission of the Galaxy, optimized for short data-sets. An accuracy of 19% in amplitude is reached. The absolute calibration is also compared to predictions from air shower simulations. These results are used to set an absolute energy scale for air shower measurements and can be used as a basis for an absolute scale for the measurement of astronomical transients with LOFAR.
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5. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
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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
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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. |
- Karelin, A. V., et al.
(author)
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The high energy cosmic ray particle spectra measurements with the PAMELA calorimeter
- 2016
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In: Nuclear and Particle Physics Proceedings. - : Elsevier. - 2405-6014. ; 273-275, s. 275-281
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Up until now there has been limited, contradictive data on the high energy range of the cosmic ray electron-positron, proton and helium spectra. Due to the limitations of the use of a magnetic spectrometer, over 8 years experimental data was processed using information from a sampling electro-magnetic calorimeter, a neutron detector and scintillator detectors. The use of these devices allowed us to successfully obtain the high energy cosmic ray particle spectra measurements. The results of this study clarify previous findings and greaten our understanding of the origin of cosmic rays.
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- Mikhailov, V. V., et al.
(author)
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Anisotropy analysis of positron data with the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
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In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA experiment is carried out on board of satellite the Resurs DK1 since 2006 for precision study of cosmic ray antiparticles. The instrument is equipped with magnetic spectrometer, silicon-tungsten imaging electromagnetic calorimeter, neutron detector which give possibility to separate electron and positron over wide energy range up to hundreds GeVs and to measure their incoming direction with accuracy about 2 degree. For each detected particle a space arriving direction was reconstructed using trajectory inside the instrument and the satellite position on the orbit. Backtracking in geomagnetic field was done to obtain initial spatial distribution of particles outside of the Earth magnetosphere. This paper discuss a result of search a possible local sources by anisotropy analysis of positron data.
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8. |
- Mikhailov, V. V., et al.
(author)
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Method of electrons and positrons separations by bremsstrahlung in the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
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In: Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Rays Conference, ICRC 2013. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Fisica. - 9788589064293
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Imaging calorimeter of the PAMELA instrument on board the Resurs DK satellite has high spatial resolution and allows to measure separately electromagnetic showers from electrons and positrons and their bremsstahlung produced in ToF detectors of the instrument. Measuring events with two showers provides proton rejection coefficient more than 104 at energy between 0.5 and 3 GeV. Results of positrons fractions obtained by this method are in agreement with previously published data of the PAMELA experiment at low energy. It confirms in independent way strong positron modulation during period of negative polarity of the Sun magnetic field.
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9. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
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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
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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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10. |
- 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
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In: Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Physics. - 1062-8738. ; 77:5, s. 493-496
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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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