lundi 20 février 2012

The experiment "RIM-PAMELA" continues











Roscosmos patch.


02/20/2012

Since 2006, the spacecraft (SC) "Resource DK1", developed and manufactured in accordance with the Federal Space Program of Russia commissioned by the Federal Space Agency, holds a joint Russian-Italian experiment "RIM-PAMELA."

The experiment was conducted in order to space research aimed at finding and studying antimatter (antiprotons, positrons), nuclear and electronic components in the primary cosmic radiation. Carrying out the experiment, the scientists plan will help to solve some fundamental problems in cosmology (the origin of the universe).

With the help of a magnetic spectrometer, "PAMELA", designed and created by scientists from Russia and Italy, and continue to be made precise measurements of charged particles and antiparticles in cosmic radiation. To date, obtained and published several scientific world-class results.

Scientific instrumentation of  "PAMELA"

An increase with increasing energy flux ratio of high-energy cosmic positrons to electrons, which required a substantial revision of ideas about the generation and propagation of such particles in the Galaxy (Nature v.458., P.607-609, 2009).

Interpretation of experimental results devoted nearly a thousand scientific papers in various scientific journals. The most interesting and important from the standpoint of the fundamental problems of the nature of dark matter, is to explain the annihilation and decay of dark matter particles. In practice this is the first experimental result on the problem of the existence of dark matter particles.

The growth of the flux ratio of positrons to electrons in the literature is called "anomalous PAMELA" and included the American Physical Society in the list of 10 outstanding world of physical results for 2008, along with the launch of the LHC in Geneva.

For the first time measured the flux of cosmic antiprotons in the energy range from fifty to two hundred thousand million electron-volts, which allowed, in particular, to analyze the different theoretical models of the nature and properties of dark matter particles (Physical Review Letter v.105., R.121101, 2010) .

As a result of measuring the energy spectra of protons and helium nuclei in cosmic rays was first shown that the energy spectra of protons and helium nuclei are different due to different mechanisms of particle acceleration and, therefore, the advantage of flow of helium nuclei at extremely high energies (Science v.332 № 6025, p. 69-72, 2011).

The experiment is also open to the near-Earth space are captured by the geomagnetic field of high-energy antiprotons, formed by the collapse of albedo antineutrons. This result has as a fundamental value that is associated with the theory of Earth's radiation belt, as well as practical importance to create the model Earth's radiation belt (Astrophysical Journal Letters v. 737, p. 1-19, 2011).

The results of experimental studies "RIM-PAMELA" repeatedly reported at scientific conferences and published in Russian scientific journals, particularly in the scientific journal "Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences", "Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences," "Letters to the Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics", "Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Science ", etc.

"Resurs-DK"

If you continue to experiment, "RIM-PAMELA" on board "Resurs DK1" supposed to detect solar flares during the growth of the solar activity cycle, the 24th, in order to study particle acceleration in the Sun and solar terrestrial relations, as well as to measure the energy spectra of light and streams medium nuclei in the galactic cosmic radiation.

23 and January 27 scientific instruments: a magnetic spectrometer, "PAMELA", and a scintillation spectrometer, "Arina", mounted on the spacecraft "Resurs DK1", recorded solar proton events from the most powerful solar flares.

January 23 at 03:59 UT (about 8:00 am Moscow time) observed the eruption of a large sunspot in 1402, accompanied by a solar flare class M9. Shortly thereafter, protons with energies of several hundred MeV were registered devices "Pamela" and "Arina" orbit on Earth.

January 27 at 18:37 UT the same active region on the sun caused a more powerful flash unit class X2. The active region was at that moment at the edge of the sun and therefore the shock wave was not directed toward the Earth. However, increased flows of high-energy particles detected on the satellite "Resurs DK1" was several times stronger.

We are currently processing the data to obtain information about the composition and energy spectra of solar particles, these unique events.

Original text in Russian: http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=18705

Images, Text, Credit: Press Service of the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos PAO) / Translation: Orbiter.ch.

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