743 research outputs found
Flux of atmospheric muons: Comparison between AIRES simulations and CAPRICE98 data
We report on a comparison between the flux of muons in the atmosphere
measured by the CAPRICE98 experiment and simulations performed with the air
shower simulation program AIRES. To reduce systematic uncertainties we have
used as input the primary fluxes of protons and helium nuclei also measured by
the CAPRICE98 experiment. Heavy nuclei are also taken into account in the
primary flux, and their contribution to the muon flux is discussed. The results
of the simulations show a very good agreement with the experimental data, at
all altitudes and for all muon momenta. With the exception of a few isolated
points, the relative differences between measured data and simulations are
smaller than 20 %; and in all cases compatible with zero within two standard
deviations. The influence of the input cosmic ray flux on the results of the
simulations is also discussed. This report includes also an extensive analysis
of the characteristics of the simulated fluxes.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review
Spatial Resolution of Double-Sided Silicon Microstrip Detectors for the PAMELA Apparatus
The PAMELA apparatus has been assembled and it is ready to be launched in a
satellite mission to study mainly the antiparticle component of cosmic rays. In
this paper the performances obtained for the silicon microstrip detectors used
in the magnetic spectrometer are presented. This subdetector reconstructs the
curvature of a charged particle in the magnetic field produced by a permanent
magnet and consequently determines momentum and charge sign, thanks to a very
good accuracy in the position measurements (better than 3 um in the bending
coordinate). A complete simulation of the silicon microstrip detectors has been
developed in order to investigate in great detail the sensor's characteristics.
Simulated events have been then compared with data gathered from minimum
ionizing particle (MIP) beams during the last years in order to tune free
parameters of the simulation. Finally some either widely used or original
position finding algorithms, designed for such kind of detectors, have been
applied to events with different incidence angles. As a result of the analysis,
a method of impact point reconstruction can be chosen, depending on both the
particle's incidence angle and the cluster multiplicity, so as to maximize the
capability of the spectrometer in antiparticle tagging.Comment: 28 pages, 18 figures, submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in
Physics Research
Modulation of galactic protons in the heliosphere during the unusual solar minimum of 2006 to 2009
The last solar minimum activity period, and the consequent minimum modulation
conditions for cosmic rays, was unusual. The highest levels of galactic protons
were recorded at Earth in late 2009 in contrast to expectations. Proton spectra
observed for 2006 to 2009 from the PAMELA cosmic ray detector on-board the
Resurs-DK1 satellite are presented together with the solutions of a
comprehensive numerical model for the solar modulation of cosmic rays. The
model is used to determine what mechanisms were mainly responsible for the
modulation of protons during this period, and why the observed spectrum for
2009 was the highest ever recorded. From mid-2006 until December 2009 we find
that the spectra became significantly softer because increasingly more low
energy protons had reached Earth. To simulate this effect, the rigidity
dependence of the diffusion coefficients had to decrease significantly below ~3
GeV. The modulation minimum period of 2009 can thus be described as relatively
more "diffusion dominated" than previous solar minima. However, we illustrate
that drifts still had played a significant role but that the observable
modulation effects were not as well correlated with the waviness of the
heliospheric current sheet as before. Protons still experienced global gradient
and curvature drifts as the heliospheric magnetic field had decreased
significantly until the end of 2009, in contrast to the moderate decreases
observed during previous minimum periods. We conclude that all modulation
processes contributed to the observed increases in the proton spectra for this
period, exhibiting an intriguing interplay of these major mechanisms
Detection of the high energy component of Jovian electrons in Low Earth Orbit with the PAMELA experiment
The PAMELA experiment is devoted to the study of cosmic rays in Low Earth
Orbit with an apparatus optimized to perform a precise determination of the
galactic antimatter component of c.r. It is constituted by a number of
detectors built around a permanent magnet spectrometer. PAMELA was launched in
space on June 15th 2006 on board the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite for a mission
duration of three years. The characteristics of the detectors, the long
lifetime and the orbit of the satellite, will allow to address several aspects
of cosmic-ray physics. In this work we discuss the observational capabilities
of PAMELA to detect the electron component above 50 MeV. The magnetic
spectrometer allows a detailed measurement of the energy spectrum of electrons
of galactic and Jovian origin. Long term measurements and correlations with
Earth-Jupiter 13 months synodic period will allow to separate these two
contributions and to measure the primary electron Jovian component, dominant in
the 50-70 MeV energy range. With this technique it will also be possible to
study the contribution to the electron spectrum of Jovian e- reaccelerated up
to 2 GeV at the Solar Wind Termination Shock.Comment: On behalf of PAMELA collaboration. Accepted for publication on
Advances in Space Researc
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