1. |
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2. |
- Prusti, T., et al.
(author)
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The Gaia mission
- 2016
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 595
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Gaia is a cornerstone mission in the science programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). The spacecraft construction was approved in 2006, following a study in which the original interferometric concept was changed to a direct-imaging approach. Both the spacecraft and the payload were built by European industry. The involvement of the scientific community focusses on data processing for which the international Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) was selected in 2007. Gaia was launched on 19 December 2013 and arrived at its operating point, the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth-Moon system, a few weeks later. The commissioning of the spacecraft and payload was completed on 19 July 2014. The nominal five-year mission started with four weeks of special, ecliptic-pole scanning and subsequently transferred into full-sky scanning mode. We recall the scientific goals of Gaia and give a description of the as-built spacecraft that is currently (mid-2016) being operated to achieve these goals. We pay special attention to the payload module, the performance of which is closely related to the scientific performance of the mission. We provide a summary of the commissioning activities and findings, followed by a description of the routine operational mode. We summarise scientific performance estimates on the basis of in-orbit operations. Several intermediate Gaia data releases are planned and the data can be retrieved from the Gaia Archive, which is available through the Gaia home page.
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3. |
- Brown, A. G. A., et al.
(author)
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Gaia Data Release 1 Summary of the astrometric, photometric, and survey properties
- 2016
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 595
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. At about 1000 days after the launch of Gaia we present the first Gaia data release, Gaia DR1, consisting of astrometry and photometry for over 1 billion sources brighter than magnitude 20.7. Aims. A summary of Gaia DR1 is presented along with illustrations of the scientific quality of the data, followed by a discussion of the limitations due to the preliminary nature of this release. Methods. The raw data collected by Gaia during the first 14 months of the mission have been processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) and turned into an astrometric and photometric catalogue. Results. Gaia DR1 consists of three components: a primary astrometric data set which contains the positions, parallaxes, and mean proper motions for about 2 million of the brightest stars in common with the HIPPARCOS and Tycho-2 catalogues - a realisation of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) - and a secondary astrometric data set containing the positions for an additional 1.1 billion sources. The second component is the photometric data set, consisting of mean G-band magnitudes for all sources. The G-band light curves and the characteristics of similar to 3000 Cepheid and RR Lyrae stars, observed at high cadence around the south ecliptic pole, form the third component. For the primary astrometric data set the typical uncertainty is about 0.3 mas for the positions and parallaxes, and about 1 mas yr(-1) for the proper motions. A systematic component of similar to 0.3 mas should be added to the parallax uncertainties. For the subset of similar to 94 000 HIPPARCOS stars in the primary data set, the proper motions are much more precise at about 0.06 mas yr(-1). For the secondary astrometric data set, the typical uncertainty of the positions is similar to 10 mas. The median uncertainties on the mean G-band magnitudes range from the mmag level to similar to 0.03 mag over the magnitude range 5 to 20.7. Conclusions. Gaia DR1 is an important milestone ahead of the next Gaia data release, which will feature five-parameter astrometry for all sources. Extensive validation shows that Gaia DR1 represents a major advance in the mapping of the heavens and the availability of basic stellar data that underpin observational astrophysics. Nevertheless, the very preliminary nature of this first Gaia data release does lead to a number of important limitations to the data quality which should be carefully considered before drawing conclusions from the data.
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4. |
- Clementini, G., et al.
(author)
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Testing parallaxes with local Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars
- 2017
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 605
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. Parallaxes for 331 classical Cepheids, 31 Type II Cepheids, and 364 RR Lyrae stars in common between Gaia and the HIPPARCOS and Tycho-2 catalogues are published in Gaia Data Release 1 (DR1) as part of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS). Aims. In order to test these first parallax measurements of the primary standard candles of the cosmological distance ladder, which involve astrometry collected by Gaia during the initial 14 months of science operation, we compared them with literature estimates and derived new period-luminosity (PL), period-Wesenheit (PW) relations for classical and Type II Cepheids and infrared PL, PL-metallicity (PLZ), and optical luminosity-metallicity (MV-[Fe/H]) relations for the RR Lyrae stars, with zero points based on TGAS.Methods. Classical Cepheids were carefully selected in order to discard known or suspected binary systems. The final sample comprises 102 fundamental mode pulsators with periods ranging from 1.68 to 51.66 days (of which 33 with sigma(omega)/omega < 0 : 5). The Type II Cepheids include a total of 26 W Virginis and BL Herculis stars spanning the period range from 1.16 to 30.00 days (of which only 7 with sigma(omega)/omega 0 : 5). The RR Lyrae stars include 200 sources with pulsation period ranging from 0.27 to 0.80 days (of which 112 with sigma(omega)/omega < 0 : 5). The new relations were computed using multi- band (V; I; J; K-s) photometry and spectroscopic metal abundances available in the literature, and by applying three alternative approaches: (i) linear least-squares fitting of the absolute magnitudes inferred from direct transformation of the TGAS parallaxes; (ii) adopting astrometry-based luminosities; and (iii) using a Bayesian fitting approach. The last two methods work in parallax space where parallaxes are used directly, thus maintaining symmetrical errors and allowing negative parallaxes to be used. The TGAS-based PL; PW; PLZ, and MV [Fe/H] relations are discussed by comparing the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud provided by different types of pulsating stars and alternative fitting methods.Results. Good agreement is found from direct comparison of the parallaxes of RR Lyrae stars for which both TGAS and HST measurements are available. Similarly, very good agreement is found between the TGAS values and the parallaxes inferred from the absolute magnitudes of Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars analysed with the Baade-Wesselink method. TGAS values also compare favourably with the parallaxes inferred by theoretical model fitting of the multi-band light curves for two of the three classical Cepheids and one RR Lyrae star, which were analysed with this technique in our samples. The K-band PL relations show the significant improvement of the TGAS parallaxes for Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars with respect to the HIPPARCOS measurements. This is particularly true for the RR Lyrae stars for which improvement in quality and statistics is impressive.Conclusions. TGAS parallaxes bring a significant added value to the previous HIPPARCOS estimates. The relations presented in this paper represent the first Gaia-calibrated relations and form a work-in-progress milestone report in the wait for Gaia-only parallaxes of which a first solution will become available with Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) in 2018.
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5. |
- van Leeuwen, F., et al.
(author)
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Gaia Data Release 1 : Open cluster astrometry: Performance, limitations, and future prospects
- 2017
-
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 601
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. The first Gaia Data Release contains the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS). This is a subset of about 2 million stars for which, besides the position and photometry, the proper motion and parallax are calculated using Hipparcos and Tycho-2 positions in 1991.25 as prior information. Aims. We investigate the scientific potential and limitations of the TGAS component by means of the astrometric data for open clusters. Methods. Mean cluster parallax and proper motion values are derived taking into account the error correlations within the astrometric solutions for individual stars, an estimate of the internal velocity dispersion in the cluster, and, where relevant, the effects of the depth of the cluster along the line of sight. Internal consistency of the TGAS data is assessed. Results. Values given for standard uncertainties are still inaccurate and may lead to unrealistic unit-weight standard deviations of least squares solutions for cluster parameters. Reconstructed mean cluster parallax and proper motion values are generally in very good agreement with earlier Hipparcos-based determination, although the Gaia mean parallax for the Pleiades is a significant exception. We have no current explanation for that discrepancy. Most clusters are observed to extend to nearly 15 pc from the cluster centre, and it will be up to future Gaia releases to establish whether those potential cluster-member stars are still dynamically bound to the clusters. Conclusions. The Gaia DR1 provides the means to examine open clusters far beyond their more easily visible cores, and can provide membership assessments based on proper motions and parallaxes. A combined HR diagram shows the same features as observed before using the Hipparcos data, with clearly increased luminosities for older A and F dwarfs.
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6. |
- Ferrario, M., et al.
(author)
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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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7. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
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Design of an Antimatter Large Acceptance Detector In Orbit (ALADInO)
- 2022
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In: Instruments. - : MDPI AG. - 2410-390X. ; 6:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A new generation magnetic spectrometer in space will open the opportunity to inves-tigate the frontiers in direct high-energy cosmic ray measurements and to precisely measure the amount of the rare antimatter component in cosmic rays beyond the reach of current missions. We propose the concept for an Antimatter Large Acceptance Detector In Orbit (ALADInO), designed to take over the legacy of direct measurements of cosmic rays in space performed by PAMELA and AMS-02. ALADInO features technological solutions conceived to overcome the current limi-tations of magnetic spectrometers in space with a layout that provides an acceptance larger than 10 m2 sr. A superconducting magnet coupled to precision tracking and time-of-flight systems can provide the required matter–antimatter separation capabilities and rigidity measurement resolution with a Maximum Detectable Rigidity better than 20 TV. The inner 3D-imaging deep calorimeter, designed to maximize the isotropic acceptance of particles, allows for the measurement of cosmic rays up to PeV energies with accurate energy resolution to precisely measure features in the cosmic ray spectra. The operations of ALADInO in the Sun–Earth L2 Lagrangian point for at least 5 years would enable unique revolutionary observations with groundbreaking discovery poten-tials in the field of astroparticle physics by precision measurements of electrons, positrons, and antiprotons up to 10 TeV and of nuclear cosmic rays up to PeV energies, and by the possible unam-biguous detection and measurement of low-energy antideuteron and antihelium components in cosmic rays.
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8. |
- Lindegren, L., et al.
(author)
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Gaia Data Release 1 : Astrometry: One billion positions, two million proper motions and parallaxes
- 2016
-
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 595
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. Gaia Data Release 1 (DR1) contains astrometric results for more than 1 billion stars brighter than magnitude 20.7 based on observations collected by the Gaia satellite during the first 14 months of its operational phase. Aims. We give a brief overview of the astrometric content of the data release and of the model assumptions, data processing, and validation of the results. Methods. For stars in common with the Hipparcos and Tycho-2 catalogues, complete astrometric single-star solutions are obtained by incorporating positional information from the earlier catalogues. For other stars only their positions are obtained, essentially by neglecting their proper motions and parallaxes. The results are validated by an analysis of the residuals, through special validation runs, and by comparison with external data. Results. For about two million of the brighter stars (down to magnitude ∼11.5) we obtain positions, parallaxes, and proper motions to Hipparcos-type precision or better. For these stars, systematic errors depending for example on position and colour are at a level of ± 0.3 milliarcsecond (mas). For the remaining stars we obtain positions at epoch J2015.0 accurate to ∼10 mas. Positions and proper motions are given in a reference frame that is aligned with the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) to better than 0.1 mas at epoch J2015.0, and non-rotating with respect to ICRF to within 0.03 mas yr-1. The Hipparcos reference frame is found to rotate with respect to the Gaia DR1 frame at a rate of 0.24 mas yr-1. Conclusions. Based on less than a quarter of the nominal mission length and on very provisional and incomplete calibrations, the quality and completeness of the astrometric data in Gaia DR1 are far from what is expected for the final mission products. The present results nevertheless represent a huge improvement in the available fundamental stellar data and practical definition of the optical reference frame.
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9. |
- Casolino, M., et al.
(author)
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Launch of the space experiment PAMELA
- 2008
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In: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 42:3, s. 455-466
-
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 antimatter with a precision of the order of 10-8. The experiment, housed on board the Russian Resurs-DK I satellite, was launched on June 15th, 2006 in a 350 x 600 km orbit with all inclination of 70'. The detector is composed of a series of scintillator counters arranged at the extremities of a permanent magnet spectrometer to provide charge, time-of-flight, and rigidity information. Lepton/hadron identification is performed by a silicon-tungsten calorimeter and a neutron detector placed at the bottom of the device. An anticounter system is used offline to reject false triggers coming from the satellite. In self-trigger mode the calorimeter, the neutron detector, and a shower tail catcher are capable of an independent measure of the lepton component up to 2 TeV. In this work we describe the experiment, its scientific objectives, and the performance in the first months after launch.
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10. |
- Martucci, M., et al.
(author)
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Analysis on H spectral shape during the early 2012 SEPs with the PAMELA experiment
- 2014
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In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 742, s. 158-161
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The satellite-borne PAMELA experiment has been continuously collecting data since 2006. This apparatus is designed to study charged particles in the cosmic radiation. The combination of a permanent magnet, a silicon strip tracker and a silicon-tungsten imaging calorimeter, and the redundancy of instrumentation allow very precise studies on the physics of cosmic rays in a wide energy range and with high statistics. This makes PAMELA a very suitable 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 PAMELA also carries out the first direct measurements of the composition for the highest energy SEP events, including those causing Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs). In particular, PAMELA has registered many SEP events during solar cycle 24, offering unique opportunities to address the question of high-energy SEP origin. A preliminary analysis on proton spectra behaviour during this event is presented in this work.
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11. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
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Measurement of the flux of primary cosmic ray antiprotons with energies of 60 MeV to 350 GeV in the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
-
In: JETP Letters. - 0021-3640 .- 1090-6487. ; 96:10, s. 621-627
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is interesting to measure the antiproton galactic component in cosmic rays in order to study the mechanisms by which particles and antiparticles are generated and propagate in the Galaxy and to search for new sources of, e.g., annihilation or decay of dark matter hypothetical particles. The antiproton spectrum and the ratio of the fluxes of primary cosmic ray antiprotons to protons with energies of 60 MeV to 350 GeV found from the data obtained from June 2006 to January 2010 in the PAMELA experiment are presented. The usage of the advanced data processing method based on the data classification mathematical model made it possible to increase statistics and analyze the region of higher energies than in the earlier works.
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12. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
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Pamela's measurements of magnetospheric effects on high-energy solar particles
- 2015
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 801:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The nature of particle acceleration at the Sun, whether through flare reconnection processes or through shocks driven by coronal mass ejections, is still under scrutiny despite decades of research. The measured properties of solar energetic particles (SEPs) have long been modeled in different particle-acceleration scenarios. The challenge has been to disentangle the effects of transport from those of acceleration. The Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics (PAMELA) instrument enables unique observations of SEPs including the composition and angular distribution of the particles about the magnetic field, i.e., pitch angle distribution, over a broad energy range (>80 MeV)-bridging a critical gap between space-based and ground-based measurements. We present high-energy SEP data from PAMELA acquired during the 2012 May 17 SEP event. These data exhibit differential anisotropies and thus transport features over the instrument rigidity range. SEP protons exhibit two distinct pitch angle distributions: a low-energy population that extends to 90 degrees and a population that is beamed at high energies (>1 GeV), consistent with neutron monitor measurements. To explain a low-energy SEP population that exhibits significant scattering or redistribution accompanied by a high-energy population that reaches the Earth relatively unaffected by dispersive transport effects, we postulate that the scattering or redistribution takes place locally. We believe that these are the first comprehensive measurements of the effects of solar energetic particle transport in the Earth's magnetosheath.
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13. |
- 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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14. |
- Boezio, M., et al.
(author)
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The PAMELA experiment and antimatter in the universe
- 2014
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In: Hyperfine Interactions. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0304-3843 .- 1572-9540. ; 228:1-3, s. 101-109
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- On the 15th of June 2006, the PAMELA satellite-borne experiment was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome and it has been collecting data since July 2006. The primary scientific goal is the measurement of the antiproton and positron energy spectra. Antiparticles are a natural component of the cosmic radiation being produced in the interaction between cosmic rays and the interstellar matter. They have been shown to be extremely interesting for understanding the propagation mechanisms of cosmic rays. Furthermore, novel sources of primary cosmic-ray antiparticles of either astrophysical or exotic origin (e.g. annihilation of dark matter particles) can also be probed. In this paper we review the PAMELA antiparticle results and their significance for the field of astroparticle physics.
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15. |
- Bruno, A., et al.
(author)
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Geomagnetically trapped, albedo and solar energetic particles : Trajectory analysis and flux reconstruction with PAMELA
- 2017
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In: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 60:4, s. 788-795
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA satellite experiment is providing comprehensive observations of the interplanetary and magnetospheric radiation in the near-Earth environment. Thanks to its identification capabilities and the semi-polar orbit, PAMELA is able to precisely measure the energetic spectra and the angular distributions of the different cosmic-ray populations over a wide latitude region, including geomagnetically trapped and albedo particles. Its observations comprise the solar energetic particle events between solar cycles 23 and 24, and the geomagnetic cutoff variations during magnetospheric storms. PAMELA's measurements are supported by an accurate analysis of particle trajectories in the Earth's magnetosphere based on a realistic geomagnetic field modeling, which allows the classification of particle populations of different origin and the investigation of the asymptotic directions of arrival.
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16. |
- Bruno, A., et al.
(author)
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Solar energetic particle events : Trajectory analysis and flux reconstruction with PAMELA
- 2015
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In: Proceedings of Science. - : Proceedings of science.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA satellite experiment is providing first direct measurements of Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) with energies from about 80 MeV to several GeV in near-Earth space, bridging the low energy data by other space-based instruments and the Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) data by the worldwide network of neutron monitors. Its unique observational capabilities include the possibility of measuring the flux angular distribution and thus investigating possible anisotropies. This work reports the analysis methods developed to estimate the SEP energy spectra as a function of the particle pitch-angle with respect to the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) direction. The crucial ingredient is provided by an accurate simulation of the asymptotic exposition of the PAMELA apparatus, based on a realistic reconstruction of particle trajectories in the Earth's magnetosphere. As case study, the results for the May 17, 2012 event are presented.
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17. |
- Casolino, M., et al.
(author)
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Magnetospheric and solar physics observations with the PAMELA experiment
- 2008
-
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 588:1-2, s. 243-246
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PAMELA is a satellite-borne experiment designed to make long duration measurements of the cosmic radiation in Low Earth Orbit. It is devoted to the detection of the cosmic-ray spectra in the 100 MeV-300 GeV range with primary scientific goal the measurement of antiproton and positron spectra over the largest energy range ever achieved. Other tasks include the search for antinuclei with unprecedented sensitivity and the measurement of the light nuclear component of cosmic rays. In addition, PAMELA can investigate phenomena connected with solar and Earth physics. The apparatus consists of: a Time of Flight system, a magnetic spectrometer, an electromagnetic imaging calorimeter, a shower tail catcher scintillator, a neutron detector and an anticoincidence system. In this work we present some measurements of galactic, secondary and trapped particles performed in the first months of operation.
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18. |
- Formato, V., et al.
(author)
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Measurement of hydrogen and helium isotopes flux in galactic cosmic rays with the PAMELA experiment
- 2014
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In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 742, s. 273-275
-
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, 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 velocity and rigidity information allow the identification of different 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 PAMELA results on the H and He isotope fluxes based on the data collected 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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19. |
- Karelin, A. V., et al.
(author)
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North-south asymmetry for high-energy cosmic-ray electrons measured with the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
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In: Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics. - 1063-7761 .- 1090-6509. ; 117:2, s. 268-273
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The north-south asymmetry for cosmic-ray particles was measured with one instrument of the PAMELA satellite-borne experiment in the period June 2006-May 2009. The analysis has been performed by two independent methods: by comparing the count rates in regions with identical geomagnetic conditions and by comparing the experimental distribution of particle directions with the simulated distribution that would be in the case of an isotropic particle flux. The dependences of the asymmetry on energy release in the PAMELA calorimeter and on time have been constructed. The asymmetry (N (n) - N (s) )/(N (n) + N (s) ) is 0.06 +/- 0.004 at the threshold energy release in the calorimeter and gradually decreases with increasing energy release. The observed effect is shown to be produced by electrons in the energy range 10-100 GeV.
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20. |
- Martucci, M., et al.
(author)
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Magnetospheric effects on high-energy solar particles during the 2012 May 17th event measured with the PAMELA experiment
- 2015
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In: Proceedings of Science. - : Proceedings of Science (PoS).
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The great challenge in constraining scenarios for solar energetic particle (SEP) acceleration is due to the fact that the signatures of acceleration itself are heavily modified by transport within interplanetary space. During transport, SEPs are subject to pitch angle scattering by the turbulent magnetic field, adiabatic focusing, or reflecting magnetic structures. Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs) provide an ideal way to study acceleration with minimal transport. In this work, we present a unique high-energy SEP observation from PAMELA of the 2012 May 17 GLE and interpret the observed pitch angle distributions as a result of local scattering (1 AU) by the Earth's magnetosheath.
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21. |
- Mayorov, A. G., et al.
(author)
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Antiprotons of galactic cosmic radiation in the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
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In: Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Physics. - 1062-8738. ; 77:5, s. 602-605
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A method for antiproton selection against a background of electrons, based on a mathematical model of data classification using variations in interparticle interaction in a calorimeter, and a method for excluding events accompanied by scattering in the inner detectors of a tracking system (which result in errors in the measured trajectory's curvature and charge sign) from analysis are discussed in this paper. Antiproton spectra and antiproton/proton flux ratio at energies of 0.06 to 350 GeV with statistics of events surpassing those in [1] are obtained. The results can be used to create models for the generation and distribution of particles in the Galaxy, and for searching and studying the nature of hypothetical dark matter particles.
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22. |
- 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
-
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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23. |
- 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
-
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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24. |
- Ricciarini, S. B., et al.
(author)
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PAMELA mission : Heralding a new era in cosmic ray physics
- 2014
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In: EPJ Web of Conferences. - : EDP Sciences. - 2100-014X.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- After seven years of data taking in space, the experiment PAMELA is showing very interesting features in cosmic rays, namely in the fluxes of protons, helium, electrons, that might change our basic vision of the mechanisms of production, acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays in the galaxy. In addition, PAMELA measurements of cosmic antiproton and positron fluxes are setting strong constraints to the nature of Dark Matter. The continuous particle detection is allowing a constant monitoring of the solar activity and detailed study of the solar modulation for a long period, giving important improvements to the comprehension of the heliosphere mechanisms. PAMELA is also measuring the radiation environment around the Earth, and has recently discovered an antiproton radiation belt.
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25. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
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Cosmic-Ray Positron Energy Spectrum Measured by PAMELA
- 2013
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 111:8, s. 081102-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Precision measurements of the positron component in the cosmic radiation provide important information about the propagation of cosmic rays and the nature of particle sources in our Galaxy. The satellite-borne experiment PAMELA has been used to make a new measurement of the cosmic-ray positron flux and fraction that extends previously published measurements up to 300 GeV in kinetic energy. The combined measurements of the cosmic-ray positron energy spectrum and fraction provide a unique tool to constrain interpretation models. During the recent solar minimum activity period from July 2006 to December 2009, approximately 24 500 positrons were observed. The results cannot be easily reconciled with purely secondary production, and additional sources of either astrophysical or exotic origin may be required.
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26. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
Measurement of Boron and Carbon Fluxes in Cosmic Rays with the Pamela Experiment
- 2014
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 791:2, s. 93-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The propagation of cosmic rays inside our galaxy plays a fundamental role in shaping their injection spectra into those observed at Earth. One of the best tools to investigate this issue is the ratio of fluxes for secondary and primary species. The boron-to-carbon (B/C) ratio, in particular, is a sensitive probe to investigate propagation mechanisms. This paper presents new measurements of the absolute fluxes of boron and carbon nuclei as well as the B/C ratio from the PAMELA space experiment. The results span the range 0.44-129 GeV/n in kinetic energy for data taken in the period 2006 July to 2008 March.
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27. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
Measurement of the isotopic composition of hydrogen and helium nuclei in cosmic rays with the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - : IOP Publishing. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 770:1, s. 2-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The satellite-borne experiment PAMELA has been used to make new measurements of cosmic ray H and He isotopes. The isotopic composition was measured between 100 and 600 MeV /n for hydrogen and between 100 and 900 MeV /n for helium isotopes over the 23rd solar minimum from 2006 July to 2007 December. The energy spectrum of these components carries fundamental information regarding the propagation of cosmic rays in the galaxy which are competitive with those obtained from other secondary to primary measurements such as B/C.
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28. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
MEASUREMENTS OF COSMIC-RAY HYDROGEN AND HELIUM ISOTOPES WITH THE PAMELA EXPERIMENT
- 2016
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 818:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The cosmic-ray hydrogen and helium (H-1, H-2, He-3, He-4) isotopic composition has been measured with the satellite-borne experiment PAMELA, which was launched into low-Earth orbit on board the Resurs-DK1 satellite on 2006 June 15. The rare isotopes H-2 and He-3 in cosmic rays are believed to originate mainly from the interaction of high-energy protons and helium with the galactic interstellar medium. The isotopic composition was measured between 100 and 1100 MeV/n for hydrogen and between 100 and 1400 MeV/n for helium isotopes using two different detector systems over the 23rd solar minimum from 2006 July to 2007 December.
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29. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
Measurements of cosmic-ray proton and helium spectra with the PAMELA calorimeter
- 2013
-
In: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 51:2, s. 219-226
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present a new measurement of the cosmic ray proton and helium spectra by the PAMELA experiment performed using the "thin" (in terms of nuclei interactions) sampling electromagnetic calorimeter. The described method, optimized by using Monte Carlo simulation, beam test and experimental data, allows the spectra to be measured up to 10 TeV, thus extending the PAMELA observational range based on the magnetic spectrometer measurement.
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30. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
Measurements of quasi-trapped electron and positron fluxes with PAMELA
- 2009
-
In: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 114, s. A12218-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents precise measurements of the differential energy spectra of quasi-trapped secondary electrons and positrons and their ratio between 80 MeV and 10 GeV in the near-equatorial region (altitudes between 350 km and 600 km). Latitudinal dependences of the spectra are analyzed in detail. The results were obtained from July until November 2006 onboard the Resurs-DK satellite by the PAMELA spectrometer, a general purpose cosmic ray detector system built around a permanent magnet spectrometer and a silicon-tungsten calorimeter.
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31. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
OBSERVATIONS OF THE 2006 DECEMBER 13 AND 14 SOLAR PARTICLE EVENTS IN THE 80 MeV n(-1)-3 GeV n(-1) RANGE FROM SPACE WITH THE PAMELA DETECTOR
- 2011
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 742:2, s. 102-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the space spectrometer PAMELA observations of proton and helium fluxes during the 2006 December 13 and 14 solar particle events. This is the first direct measurement of the solar energetic particles in space with a single instrument in the energy range from similar to 80 MeV n(-1) up to similar to 3 GeV n(-1). For the December 13 event, measured energy spectra of solar protons and helium are compared with results obtained by neutron monitors and other detectors. Our measurements show a spectral behavior different from those derived from the neutron monitor network. No satisfactory analytical fitting was found for the energy spectra. During the first hours of the December 13 event, solar energetic particles spectra were close to the exponential form, demonstrating rather significant temporal evolution. Solar He with energy up to 1 GeV n(-1) was recorded on December 13. For the December 14 event, energy of solar protons reached 600 MeV, whereas the maximum energy of He was below 100 MeV n(-1). The spectra were slightly bent in the lower energy range and preserved their form during the second event. Differences in the particle flux appearance and temporal evolution of these two events may argue for special conditions leading to the acceleration of solar particles up to relativistic energies.
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32. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
PAMELA Measurements of Cosmic-Ray Proton and Helium Spectra
- 2011
-
In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 332:6025, s. 69-72
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Protons and helium nuclei are the most abundant components of the cosmic radiation. Precise measurements of their fluxes are needed to understand the acceleration and subsequent propagation of cosmic rays in our Galaxy. We report precision measurements of the proton and helium spectra in the rigidity range 1 gigavolt to 1.2 teravolts performed by the satellite-borne experiment PAMELA (payload for antimatter matter exploration and light-nuclei astrophysics). We find that the spectral shapes of these two species are different and cannot be described well by a single power law. These data challenge the current paradigm of cosmic-ray acceleration in supernova remnants followed by diffusive propagation in the Galaxy. More complex processes of acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays are required to explain the spectral structures observed in our data.
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33. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
Reentrant albedo proton fluxes measured by the PAMELA experiment
- 2015
-
In: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 120:5, s. 3728-3738
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present a precise measurement of downward going albedo proton fluxes for kinetic energy above similar to 70 MeV performed by the Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics (PAMELA) experiment at an altitude between 350 and 610 km. On the basis of a trajectory tracing simulation, the analyzed protons were classified into quasi-trapped, concentrating in the magnetic equatorial region, and untrapped spreading over all latitudes, including both short-lived (precipitating) and long-lived (pseudotrapped) components. In addition, features of the penumbra region around the geomagnetic cutoff were investigated in detail. PAMELA results significantly improve the characterization of the high-energy albedo proton populations at low-Earth orbits.
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34. |
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35. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
The PAMELA space mission
- 2008
-
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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36. |
- Adriani, O., et al.
(author)
-
Time Dependence Of The Proton Flux Measured By Pamela During The 2006 July-2009 December Solar Minimum
- 2013
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - : IOP Publishing. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 765:2, s. 91-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The energy spectra of galactic cosmic rays carry fundamental information regarding their origin and propagation. These spectra, when measured near Earth, are significantly affected by the solar magnetic field. A comprehensive description of the cosmic radiation must therefore include the transport and modulation of cosmic rays inside the heliosphere. During the end of the last decade, the Sun underwent a peculiarly long quiet phase well suited to study modulation processes. In this paper we present proton spectra measured from 2006 July to 2009 December by PAMELA. The large collected statistics of protons allowed the time variation to be followed on a nearly monthly basis down to 400 MV. Data are compared with a state-of-the-art three-dimensional model of solar modulation.
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37. |
- Bazilevskaya, G. A., et al.
(author)
-
Solar energetic particle events in 2006-2012 in the PAMELA experiment data
- 2013
-
In: Journal of Physics, Conference Series. - : IOP Publishing. - 1742-6588 .- 1742-6596. ; 409:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA magnetic spectrometer launched in June 2006 has observed the last strong energetic solar particle event of the 23rd solar cycle in December 2006. Subsequent long minimum of solar activity and weak development of the 24th solar cycle led to a deficit in the solar energetic particle events on the Earth orbit. As a result, only few events with protons accelerated above 100 MeV occurred in 2010-2012. The paper gives the preliminary results on energetic solar particles in the beginning of the 24th solar circle as measured with the PAMELA instrument.
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38. |
- Boezio, M., et al.
(author)
-
Nine years of cosmic rays investigation by the PAMELA experiment
- 2015
-
In: Proceedings of Science. - : Proceedings of Science (PoS).
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA cosmic ray detector was launched on June 15th of 2006 on board the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite and during nine years of continuous data-taking it has ob- served very interesting features in cosmic rays, namely in the fluxes of protons, helium and electrons. Its discoveries might change our basic vision of the mechanisms of pro- duction, acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. Moreover, PAMELA measurements of cosmic antiproton and positron fluxes and positron-to-all-electron ratio have been setting strong constraints to the nature of Dark Matter. Measurements of boron, carbon, lithium and beryllium (together with the isotopic fraction) will also shed new light on the elemental composition of the cosmic radiation. Search for signatures of more exotic processes (such as the ones involving Strange Quark Matter) is also pursued. Furthermore, the instrument is still functional allowing a constant monitoring of the solar activity during its maximum and a detailed and prolonged study of the solar modulation, improving the comprehension of the heliosphere mechanisms. PAMELA is also measur- ing the radiation environment around the Earth, and it detected for the first time the presence of an antiproton radiation belt surrounding our planet. In this highlight paper PAMELA main results will be reviewed.
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39. |
- Boezio, M., et al.
(author)
-
The first year in orbit of the pamela experiment
- 2007
-
In: Proceedings of the 30th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2007. - : Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. ; , s. 99-102
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- On the 15th of June 2006, the PAMELA experiment mounted on the Resurs DK1 satellite, was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome and it has been collecting data since July 2006. PAMELA is a satellite-borne apparatus designed to study charged particles in the cosmic radiation, to investigate the nature of dark matter, measuring the cosmic-ray antiproton and positron spectra over the largest energy range ever achieved, and to search for antinuclei with unprecedented sensitivity. The PAMELA apparatus comprises 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. We will present the status of the apparatus after one year in orbit. Furthermore, we will discuss the PAMELA in-flight performances.
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40. |
- Bruno, A., et al.
(author)
-
First detection of geomagnetically trapped antiprotons by the PAMELA experiment
- 2011
-
In: Proceedings of the 32nd International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2011. - : Institute of High Energy Physics. ; , s. 86-89
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the measurement of geomagnetically trapped antiprotons in the South Atlantic Anomaly performed by the PAMELA satellite-bourne experiment. The existence of an antiproton radiation belt, predicted by several models as the product of cosmic ray interactions with the residual terrestrial atmosphere, is evidenced for the first time. PAMELA measured the antiproton spectrum in the kinetic energy range between 60 and 750 MeV, reporting a trapped antiproton flux which exceeds by about 3 orders of magnitude the interplanetary cosmic ray antiproton flux. An estimation of the mean under-cutoff antiproton flux outside radiation belts has been also provided.
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41. |
- Bruno, A., et al.
(author)
-
PAMELA's measurements of geomagnetic cutoff variations during solar energetic particle events
- 2015
-
In: Proceedings of Science. - : Proceedings of Science (PoS).
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Data from the PAMELA satellite experiment were used to measure the geomagnetic cutoff for high-energy ( 80 MeV) protons during the solar particle events on 2006 December 13 and 14. The variations of the cutoff latitude as a function of rigidity were studied on relatively short timescales, corresponding to single spacecraft orbits (about 94 minutes). Estimated cutoff values were cross-checked with those obtained by means of a trajectory tracing approach based on dynamical empirical modeling of the Earth's magnetosphere. We find significant variations in the cutoff latitude, with a maximum suppression of about 6 deg for 80 MeV protons during the main phase of the storm. The observed reduction in the geomagnetic shielding and its temporal evolution were compared with the changes in the magnetosphere configuration, investigating the role of IMF, solar wind and geomagnetic (Kp, Dst and Sym-H indexes) variables and their correlation with PAMELA cutoff results.
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42. |
- Bruno, A., et al.
(author)
-
PAMELA's measurements of geomagnetically trapped and albedo protons
- 2015
-
In: Proceedings of Science. - : Proceedings of Science (PoS).
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Data from the PAMELA satellite experiment were used to perform a detailed measurement of under-cutoff protons at low Earth orbits. On the basis of a trajectory tracing approach using a realistic description of the magnetosphere, protons were classified into geomagnetically trapped and re-entrant albedo. The former include stably-trapped protons in the South Atlantic Anomaly, which were analyzed in the framework of the adiabatic theory, investigating energy spectra, spatial and angular distributions; results were compared with the predictions of the AP8 and the PSB97 empirical trapped models. The albedo protons were classified into quasi-trapped, concentrating in the magnetic equatorial region, and un-trapped, spreading over all latitudes and including both short-lived (precipitating) and long-lived (pseudo-trapped) components. Features of the penumbra region around the geomagnetic cutoff were investigated as well. PAMELA observations significantly improve the characterization of the high energy proton populations in near Earth orbits. The.
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43. |
- Bruno, A., et al.
(author)
-
Precise cosmic rays measurements with PAMELA
- 2013
-
In: Acta Polytechnica. - 1210-2709. ; 53:Suppl.1, s. 712-717
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PAMELA experiment was launched on board the Resurs-DK1 satellite on June 15th 2006. The apparatus was designed to conduct precision studies of charged cosmic radiation over a wide energy range, from tens of MeV up to several hundred GeV, with unprecedented statistics. In five years of continuous data taking in space, PAMELA accurately measured the energy spectra of cosmic ray antiprotons and positrons, as well as protons, electrons and light nuclei, sometimes providing data in unexplored energetic regions. These important results have shed new light in several astrophysical fields like: an indirect search for Dark Matter, a search for cosmological antimatter (anti-Helium), and the validation of acceleration, transport and secondary production models of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. Some of the most important items of Solar and Magnetospheric physics were also investigated. Here we present the most recent results obtained by the PAMELA experiment.
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44. |
- Bruno, A., et al.
(author)
-
Trapped protons in SAA measured by the PAMELA experiment
- 2011
-
In: Proceedings of the 32nd International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2011. - : Institute of High Energy Physics. ; , s. 82-85
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An accurate measurement of under cutoff proton fluxes in the energy range 60 MeV ÷ 3 GeV has been performed by the PAMELA satellite-borne experiment. Thanks to the high identification performances and to the semipolar and elliptic satellite orbit, PAMELA is able to provide information about spectra and composition of particles in different regions of the magnetosphere. Here we present the measurement of the geomagnetically trapped protons from the inner radiation belt (SAA). The fluxes as a function of equatorial pitch angle and McIlwain L-shell are reported.
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45. |
- De Simone, N., et al.
(author)
-
Comparison of models and measurements of protons of trapped and secondary origin with PAMELA experiment
- 2009
-
In: 31st International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2009. - : University of Lodz.
-
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 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- DK1 satellite, was launched on June, 15th 2006 in a 350x600 km orbit with an inclination of 70 degrees. In this work we present the measurement of galactic and reentrant albedo proton spectra in the energy range between 100 MeV and 300 GeV. The galactic protons refer to the period 2006-2008, showing evidence of Solar modulation effects even during the solar minimum.
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46. |
- De Simone, N., et al.
(author)
-
Latitudinal and radial gradients of galactic cosmic ray protons in the inner heliosphere - PAMELA and Ulysses observations
- 2011
-
In: Astrophysics and Space Sciences Transactions (ASTRA). - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1810-6528 .- 1810-6536. ; 7:3, s. 425-434
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ulysses, launched on 6 October 1990, was placed in an elliptical, high inclined (80.2°) orbit around the Sun, and was switched off in June 2009. It has been the only spacecraft exploring high-latitude regions of the inner heliosphere. The Kiel Electron Telescope (KET) aboard Ulysses measures electrons from 3 MeV to a few GeV and protons and helium in the energy range from 6 MeV/nucleon to above 2 GeV/nucleon. The PAMELA (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics) space borne experiment was launched on 15 June 2006 and is 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. Thus the combination of Ulysses and PAMELA measurements is ideally suited to determine the spatial gradients during the extended minimum of solar cycle 23. For protons in the rigidity interval 1.6-1.8 GV we find a radial gradient of 2.7%/AU and a latitudinal gradient of -0.024%/degree. Although the latitudinal gradient is as expected negative, its value is much smaller than predicted by current particle propagation models. This result is of relevance for the study of propagation parameters in the inner heliosphere.
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47. |
- Fabricius, C., et al.
(author)
-
Gaia Data Release 1 : Pre-processing and source list creation
- 2016
-
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 595
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. The first data release from the Gaia mission contains accurate positions and magnitudes for more than a billion sources, and proper motions and parallaxes for the majority of the 2.5 million Hipparcos and Tycho-2 stars. Aims. We describe three essential elements of the initial data treatment leading to this catalogue: the image analysis, the construction of a source list, and the near real-time monitoring of the payload health. We also discuss some weak points that set limitations for the attainable precision at the present stage of the mission. Methods. Image parameters for point sources are derived from one-dimensional scans, using a maximum likelihood method, under the assumption of a line spread function constant in time, and a complete modelling of bias and background. These conditions are, however, not completely fulfilled. The Gaia source list is built starting from a large ground-based catalogue, but even so a significant number of new entries have been added, and a large number have been removed. The autonomous onboard star image detection will pick up many spurious images, especially around bright sources, and such unwanted detections must be identified. Another key step of the source list creation consists in arranging the more than 1010 individual detections in spatially isolated groups that can be analysed individually. Results. Complete software systems have been built for the Gaia initial data treatment, that manage approximately 50 million focal plane transits daily, giving transit times and fluxes for 500 million individual CCD images to the astrometric and photometric processing chains. The software also carries out a successful and detailed daily monitoring of Gaia health.
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48. |
- Giaccari, U., et al.
(author)
-
Anisotropy studies in the cosmic ray proton flux with the PAMELA experiment
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the 9th workshop on Science with the New Generation of High Energy Gamma-ray Experiments: From high energy gamma sources to cosmic rays, one century after their discovery. - : Elsevier. ; , s. 123-128
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using data taken by the Pamela experiment during 5 years of operation we studied the anisotropy in the arrival direction distribution of cosmic ray protons with rigidity above 40 GV. In this survey we used two different and independent techniques to investigate the large and medium anisotropy patterns in the proton spectrum. With both methods the observed distribution of arrival directions is consistent with the isotropic expectation and no significant evidence of strong anisotropies has been observed.
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49. |
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50. |
- Karelin, A. V., et al.
(author)
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Measurement of electron-positron spectrum in high-energy cosmic rays in the PAMELA experiment
- 2015
-
In: 24TH EUROPEAN COSMIC RAY SYMPOSIUM (ECRS). - : IOP Publishing.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- At present the existing data on the cosmic ray electron energy spectra in the high energy range are fragmented, and the situation is exacerbated by their small number. In the satellite PAMELA experiment measurements at high energies are carried out by the calorimeter. The experimental data accumulated for more than 8 years of measurements, with the information of the calorimeter, the neutron detector and the scintillation counters made it possible to obtain the total spectrum of high-energy electrons and positrons in energy range 0.3-3 TeV.
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