The PAMELA Storage and Control Unit

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Balloon Measurements of Cosmic Ray Muon Spectra in the Atmosphere along with those of Primary Protons and Helium Nuclei over Mid-Latitude

We report here the measurements of the energy spectra of atmospheric muons and of the cosmic ray primary proton and helium nuclei in a single experiment. These were carried out using the MASS superconducting spectrometer in a balloon flight experiment in 1991. The relevance of these results to the atmospheric neutrino anomaly is emphasized. In particular, this approach allows uncertainties caused by the level of solar modulation, the geomagnetic cut-off of the primaries and possible experimental systematics to be decoupled in the comparison of calculated fluxes of muons to measured muon fluxes. The muon observations cover the momentum and depth ranges of 0.3-40 GeV/c and 5-886 g/cmsquared, respectively. The proton and helium primary measurements cover the rigidity range from 3 to 100 GV, in which both the solar modulation and the geomagnetic cut-off affect the energy spectra at low energies.Comment: 31 pages, including 17 figures, simplified apparatus figure, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Launch of the Space experiment PAMELA

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-DK1 satellite, was launched on June, 15, 2006 in a 350*600 km orbit with an inclination of 70 degrees. 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.Comment: Accepted for publication on Advances in Space Researc

PAMELA - A Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics

The PAMELA experiment is a satellite-borne apparatus designed to study charged particles in the cosmic radiation with a particular focus on antiparticles. PAMELA is mounted on the Resurs DK1 satellite that was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome on June 15th 2006. 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. The combination of these devices allows antiparticles to be reliably identified from a large background of other charged particles. This paper reviews the design, space qualification and on-ground performance of PAMELA. The in-orbit performance will be discussed in future publications.The PAMELA experiment is a satellite-borne apparatus designed to study charged particles in the cosmic radiation with a particular focus on antiparticles. PAMELA is mounted on the Resurs DK1 satellite that was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome on June 15th 2006. 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. The combination of these devices allows antiparticles to be reliably identified from a large background of other charged particles. This paper reviews the design, space qualification and on-ground performance of PAMELA. The in-orbit performance will be discussed in future publications

The high energy cosmic ray particle spectra measurements with the PAMELA calorimeter

Abstract Up until now there has been limited, contradictive data on the high energy range of the cosmic ray electron-positron, proton and helium spectra. Due to the limitations of the use of a magnetic spectrometer, over 8 years experimental data was processed using information from a sampling electro-magnetic calorimeter, a neutron detector and scintillator detectors. The use of these devices allowed us to successfully obtain the high energy cosmic ray particle spectra measurements. The results of this study clarify previous findings and greaten our understanding of the origin of cosmic rays

PAMELA Observation of the 2012 May 17 GLE Event

The PAMELA (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics) satellite-borne experiment has been collecting data in orbit since July 2006, providing accurate measurements of the energy spectra and composition of the cosmic radiation from a few hundred MeVn up to hundred GeVn. This wide interval of measured energies makes PAMELA a unique 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 also PAMELA carries out the first direct measurements of the composition for the highest energy SEP events, including those causing Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs). PAMELA has registered many SEP events in solar cycle 24 including the 2012 May 17 GLE event (GLE 71), offering unique opportunities to address the question of high-energy SEP origin. Experimental performances and preliminary results on the 2012 May 17 events will be presented. We will discuss the derived particle injection time and compare with other time scales at the Sun including the flare and CME onset times

The situation of groundwater remediation in Italy with a specific reference to the applicability of the permeable reactive barrier technology

The remediation of contaminated sites has become in last years one of the most important environmental emergencies, in Italy as in Europe. In Italy, there are presently about 50 sites (corresponding to an area of about 100.000 hectares, i.e. 0.3% of the overall surface of the national country) whose remediation is considered to be of national interest based on their environmental relevance. These sites are directly ruled by the Ministry of the Environment under the National Programme for Site Remediation, Law n. 426/1998 and Ministerial Decree 468/2001. A public financial support of about 750 millions of Euro is already available, mainly for preliminary actions such as site characterisation and emergency containment of contamination at these site

Pleistocene environments and human presence in the middle Atbara valley (Khashm El Girba, Eastern Sudan)

A 50 mthick Pleistocene fluvial succession is extensively exposed in the karib (badlands) area along the Atbara river from Khashm El Girba to Halfa Al Jadida. Through a widespread major unconformity this succession has been subdivided into the Butana Bridge Synthem (BBS) and Khashm El Girba Synthem (KGS). In the latter minor unconformities mark the boundaries between KGS1, KGS2 and KGS3 subsynthems. The BBS is 10 m thick, starts with braided stream gravel and terminates with high-sinuosity river sand. An intermediate silty interval with a well-developed calcrete marks a period of reduced clastic input and morphological stability. The BBS yielded vertebrate remains and many Acheulean artefacts and was deposited from the late Early Pleistocene to the early Middle Pleistocene. After a gap of some hundred thousand years the sedimentary record continues with 40 m thick KGS fluvial deposits. They are quite diversified and include sands from meandering rivers (KGS1) abruptly interrupted by braided river deposits that evolve to sinuous river sands (KGS2), and, finally, from braided river pebbly sands to sheet flows (KGS3). The KGS yielded abundant vertebrate remains and late Acheulean to Middle Stone Age artefacts. Mollusc patch reefs with stromatolitic coatings at the base of the KGS2 and KGS3 gave U/Th ages of 126.1 kyr+/−1.0 kyr and 92.2 kyr+/−0.7 kyr, respectively. These datings, together with fossil assemblages, and artefacts indicate a late Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age for the KGS. The entire succession makes a northward (Goz Regeb area) transition into fluvio-lacustrine deposits related to the “Atbara palaeolake”. Through palaeohydrological analyses bankfull discharges have been estimated in some KGS1 and KGS2 fluvial channels. They resulted into one order of magnitude less than the present-day Atbara river. The variations in fluvial style and discharge were connected with climatic changes, river network modifications induced by tectonics, and palaeolake Atbara level variations. Due to defined time constrains, the climate changes recorded in the KGS are matched with the Pleistocene Marine Isotope Stages (MIS). The KGS1 meandering rivers can be referred to the MIS 7 wet period, and the episodes of increasing rainfall in KGS2 and KGS3 to the Eemian MIS 5.5 and MIS 5.3 followed by arid conditions (MIS 4?). Despite fossils and facies indicate environmental changes from arid savannah during the BBS to grassland with water pools during the KGS, the Atbara valley was always favourable to human settlement. Our study allowed to reconstruct, although discontinuously, the environments and the occurrence of human presence from the late Early Pleistocene to the Holocene. During this period hominins on their way from East Africa to Eurasia found abundant faunas and more or less perennial streams in the Atbara valley