The first year in orbit of the pamela experiment

• 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.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Experiments

High energy physics

Anticoincidence systems

Dark matter

Electromagnetic calorimeter

Energy ranges

First year

In-flight performance

Magnetic spectrometers

Time-of-flight system

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)