418 research outputs found
Mass Varying Neutrinos, Quintessence, and the Accelerating Expansion of the Universe
We analyze the Mass Varying Neutrino (MaVaN) scenario. We consider a minimal
model of massless Dirac fermions coupled to a scalar field, mainly in the
framework of finite temperature quantum field theory. We demonstrate that the
mass equation we find has non-trivial solutions only for special classes of
potentials, and only within certain temperature intervals. We give most of our
results for the Ratra-Peebles Dark Energy (DE) potential. The thermal
(temporal) evolution of the model is analyzed. Following the time arrow, the
stable, metastable and unstable phases are predicted. The model predicts that
the present Universe is below its critical temperature and accelerates. At the
critical point the Universe undergoes a first-order phase transition from the
(meta)stable oscillatory regime to the unstable rolling regime of the DE field.
This conclusion agrees with the original idea of quintessence as a force making
the Universe roll towards its true vacuum with zero \Lambda-term. The present
MaVaN scenario is free from the coincidence problem, since both the DE density
and the neutrino mass are determined by the scale M of the potential. Choosing
M ~ 10^{-3} eV to match the present DE density, we can obtain the present
neutrino mass in the range m ~ 10^{-2}-1 eV and consistent estimates for other
parameters of the Universe.Comment: 29 pages, 7 figures. V. 3: Analysis of the dynamics of the Universe
and some refs. added; extended version to be published in PR
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
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.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta
Analysis on H Spectral Shape During the Early 2012 SEPs with the PAMELA Experiment
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 its pan 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
Constraining the MSSM with universal gaugino masses and implication for searches at the LHC
Using a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach, we find the allowed parameter
space of a MSSM model with seven free parameters. In this model universality
conditions at the GUT scale are imposed on the gaugino sector. We require in
particular that the relic density of dark matter saturates the value extracted
from cosmological measurements assuming a standard cosmological scenario. We
characterize the parameter space of the model that satisfies experimental
constraints and illustrate the complementarity of the LHC searches, B-physics
observables and direct dark matter searches for further probing the parameter
space of the model. We also explore the different decay chains expected for the
coloured particles that would be produced at LHC.Comment: 29 pages, 11 figure
The Cosmic-Ray Proton and Helium Spectra measured with the CAPRICE98 balloon experiment
A new measurement of the primary cosmic-ray proton and helium fluxes from 3
to 350 GeV was carried out by the balloon-borne CAPRICE experiment in 1998.
This experimental setup combines different detector techniques and has
excellent particle discrimination capabilities allowing clear particle
identification. Our experiment has the capability to determine accurately
detector selection efficiencies and systematic errors associated with them.
Furthermore, it can check for the first time the energy determined by the
magnet spectrometer by using the Cherenkov angle measured by the RICH detector
well above 20 GeV/n. The analysis of the primary proton and helium components
is described here and the results are compared with other recent measurements
using other magnet spectrometers. The observed energy spectra at the top of the
atmosphere can be represented by (1.27+-0.09)x10^4 E^(-2.75+-0.02) particles
(m^2 GeV sr s)^-1, where E is the kinetic energy, for protons between 20 and
350 GeV and (4.8+-0.8)x10^2 E^(-2.67+-0.06) particles (m^2 GeV nucleon^-1 sr
s)^-1, where E is the kinetic energy per nucleon, for helium nuclei between 15
and 150 GeV nucleon^-1.Comment: To be published on Astroparticle Physics (44 pages, 13 figures, 5
tables
Two years of flight of the Pamela experiment: results and perspectives
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
). The experiment, housed on board the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite,
was launched on June, 2006 in a 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 2006 Solar Particle Event - are also provided.Comment: To appear on J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. as part of the proceedings of the
International Workshop on Advances in Cosmic Ray Science March, 17-19, 2008
Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japa
Time dependence of the electron and positron components of the cosmic radiation measured by the PAMELA experiment between July 2006 and December 2015
Cosmic-ray electrons and positrons are a unique probe of the propagation of
cosmic rays as well as of the nature and distribution of particle sources in
our Galaxy. Recent measurements of these particles are challenging our basic
understanding of the mechanisms of production, acceleration and propagation of
cosmic rays. Particularly striking are the differences between the low energy
results collected by the space-borne PAMELA and AMS-02 experiments and older
measurements pointing to sign-charge dependence of the solar modulation of
cosmic-ray spectra. The PAMELA experiment has been measuring the time variation
of the positron and electron intensity at Earth from July 2006 to December 2015
covering the period for the minimum of solar cycle 23 (2006-2009) till the
middle of the maximum of solar cycle 24, through the polarity reversal of the
heliospheric magnetic field which took place between 2013 and 2014. The
positron to electron ratio measured in this time period clearly shows a
sign-charge dependence of the solar modulation introduced by particle drifts.
These results provide the first clear and continuous observation of how drift
effects on solar modulation have unfolded with time from solar minimum to solar
maximum and their dependence on the particle rigidity and the cyclic polarity
of the solar magnetic field.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figure
A new measurement of the antiproton-to-proton flux ratio up to 100 GeV in the cosmic radiation
A new measurement of the cosmic ray antiproton-to-proton flux ratio between 1
and 100 GeV is presented. The results were obtained with the PAMELA experiment,
which was launched into low-earth orbit on-board the Resurs-DK1 satellite on
June 15th 2006. During 500 days of data collection a total of about 1000
antiprotons have been identified, including 100 above an energy of 20 GeV. The
high-energy results are a ten-fold improvement in statistics with respect to
all previously published data. The data follow the trend expected from
secondary production calculations and significantly constrain contributions
from exotic sources, e.g. dark matter particle annihilations.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
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