Inhomogeneous diffusion model for recent data on high-energy cosmic rays

The AMS Collaboration has recently released precision data on cosmic ray (CR) leptons and protons at high energies. Interesting progresses have also been made on the measurement of CR nuclei, such as the boron-to-carbon ratio or the lithium spectrum, up to TeV/nucleon energies. In order to provide a description these data, I consider a diffusion model of CR propagation which allows for latitudinal variations of the CR diffusion properties in the Galactic halo. I discuss the role of high-precision data on light CR nuclei in resolutely testing this model and the key propagation parameters.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures - Proceeding of the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conferenc

Cosmic-ray protons, nuclei, electrons, and antiparticles under a two-halo scenario of diffusive propagation

We report calculations of cosmic-ray proton, nuclei, antiproton, electron and positron energy spectra within a "two-halo model" of diffusive transport. The two halos represent a simple, physically consistent generalization of the standard diffusion models, which assume a unique type of diffusion for cosmic rays in the whole Galactic halo. We believe instead that cosmic rays may experience a smaller energy dependence of diffusion when they are in proximity of the Galactic disk. Our scenario is supported by recent observations of cosmic-ray protons, nuclei, anisotropy, and gamma-rays. We predict remarkably hard antiparticle spectra at high energy. In particular, at E>10 GeV, the antiproton/proton ratio is expected to flatten, while the positron fraction is found to increase with energy. We discuss the implications for cosmic-ray physics and dark matter searches via antimatter.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, matches version published in PRD - Rapid Communicatio

Examination of uncertainties in nuclear data for cosmic ray physics with the AMS experiment

High-energy Li-Be-B nuclei in cosmic rays are being measured with unprecedent accuracy by the AMS experiment. These data bring valuable information to the cosmic ray propagation physics. In particular, combined measurements of B/C and Be/B ratios may allow to break the parameter degeneracy between the cosmic-ray diffusion coefficient and the size of the propagation region, which is crucial for dark matter searches. The parameter determination relies in the calculation of the Be and B production from collisions of heavier nuclei with the gas. Using the available cross-section data, I present for the first time an evaluation of the nuclear uncertainties and their impact in constraining the propagation models. I found that the AMS experiment can provide tight constraints on the transport parameters allowing to resolutely break the degeneracy, while nuclear uncertainties in the models are found to be a major limiting factor. Once these uncertainties are accounted, the degeneracy remains poorly resolved. In particular, the Be/B ratio at ~1 - 10 GeV/n is found not to bring valuable information for the parameter extraction. On the other hand, precise Be/B data at higher energy may be useful to test the nuclear physics inputs of the models.Comment: 4 figures, 6 pages, matches published versio

Solar Modulation of Galactic Cosmic Rays: Physics Challenges for AMS-02

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is a new generation high-energy physics experiment installed on the International Space Station in May 2011 and operating continuously since then. Using an unprecedently large collection of particles and antiparticles detected in space, AMS is performing precision measurements of cosmic ray energy spectra and composition. In this paper, we discuss the physics of solar modulation in Galactic cosmic rays that can be investigated with AMS my means of dedicated measurements on the time-dependence of cosmic-ray proton, helium, electron and positron fluxes.Comment: Proceedings of the 18th Lomonosov Conference - 2017, Moscow, Russi

Origin of the Proton-to-Helium Ratio Anomaly in Cosmic Rays

Recent data on Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) revealed that the helium energy spectrum is harder than the proton spectrum. The AMS experiment has now reported that the proton-to-helium ratio as function of rigidity $R$ (momentum-to-charge ratio) falls off steadily as p/He $\sim R^\Delta$, with $\Delta\approx$-0.08 between $R\sim$40 GV and $R\sim$2 TV. Besides, the single spectra of proton and helium are found to progressively harden at $R\gtrsim$100 GV. The p/He anomaly is generally ascribed to particle-dependent acceleration mechanisms occurring in Galactic CR sources. However, this explanation poses a challenge to the known mechanisms of particle acceleration since they are believed to be "universal", composition blind, rigidity mechanisms. Using the new AMS data, we show that the p/He anomaly can be simply explained in terms of a two-component scenario where the GeV-TeV flux is ascribed to a hydrogen-rich source, possibly a nearby supernova remnant, characterized by a soft acceleration spectrum. This simple idea provides a common interpretation for the p/He ratio and for the single spectra of proton and helium: both anomalies are explained by a flux transition between two components. The "universality" of particle acceleration in sources is not violated in this model. A distinctive signature of our scenario is the high-energy flattening of the p/He ratio at multi-TeV energies, which is hinted at by existing data and will be resolutely tested by new space experiments ISS-CREAM and CALET.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures; matches the published versio

Consistent description of leptonic and hadroninc spectra in cosmic rays

The AMS Collaboration has recently released data on cosmic ray (CR) leptons and hadrons that can shed light on two exciting problems in CR physics: on one side, the origin of the rise of the CR positron fraction above ~10 GeV of energy, on the other side, the nature of the spectral features observed in CR protons and helium at TeV energies. Concerning heavier nuclei, The ATIC-2 experiment has recently reported an puzzling spectral upturn at energy ~50 GeV per nucleon in several primary/primary ratios involving Iron, such as the O/Fe or C/Fe ratio. In this work, the AMS data are described using a two-component scenario, where the total CR flux is provided by a mixture of fluxes accelerated by sources with different properties. Within this picture, the role of secondary CR production inside nearby supernova remnants is discussed. In particular, we present the predictions of our model for the C/Fe and O/Fe ratios, in connection with the spectral anomalies found by the ATIC-2 experiment.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures - Proceeding of the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference. PoS(2015) 55

Production of cosmic-ray antinuclei in the Galaxy and background for dark matter searches

Antimatter nuclei in cosmic rays (CR) represent a promising discovery channel for the indirect search of dark matter. We present astrophysical background calculations of CR antideuteron ($\overline{d}$) and antihelium ($\overline{He}$). These particles are produced by high-energy collisions of CR protons and nuclei with the gas nuclei of the interstellar medium. In our calculations, we also consider production and shock acceleration of antinuclei in the shells of supernova remnants (SNRs). The total flux of $\overline{d}$ and $\overline{He}$ particles is constrained using new AMS measurements on the boron/carbon (B/C) and antiproton/proton ($\bar{p}/p$) ratios. The two ratios leads to different antiparticle fluxes in the high-energy regime $E\gtrsim$ 10 GeV/n where, in particular, $\bar{p}/p$-driven calculations leads to a significantly larger antiparticle flux in comparison to predictions from conventional B/C-driven constraints. On the other hand, both approaches provide consistent results in the sub-GeV/n energy window, which is where dark matter induced signal may exceed the astrophysical background. In this region, the total antinuclei flux, from interaction in the insterstellar gas and inside SNRs, is tightly bounded by the data. Shock-acceleration of antiparticles in SNRs has a minor influence in the astrophysical background for dark matter searches.Comment: Proceedings of the EPS Conference on High Energy Physics EPS-HEP 2017, Venic