A. Basili

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

PAMELA is a satellite-borne experiment designed for precision studies of the charged cosmic radiation. The primary scientific goal is the study of the antimatter component of the cosmic radiation (antiprotons, 80 MeV - 190 GeV; and positrons, 50 MeV - 270 GeV) in order to search for evidence of dark matter particle annihilations. PAMELA will also search for primordial antinuclei (in particular, anti-helium), and test cosmic-ray propagation models through precise measurements of the antiparticle energy spectrum and studies of light nuclei and their isotopes. Concomitant goals include a study of solar physics and solar modulation during the 24th solar minimum by investigating low energy particles in the cosmic radiation; and a reconstruction of the cosmic ray electron energy spectrum up to several TeV thereby allowing a possible contribution from local sources to be studied. PAMELA is housed on-board the Russian Resurs-DKl satellite, which was launched on June 15th 2006 in an elliptical (350-600 km altitude) orbit with an inclination of 70 degrees. PAMELA consists of a permanent magnet spectrometer, to provide rigidity and charge sign information; a Time-of-Flight and trigger system, for velocity and charge determination; a silicon-tungsten calorimeter, for lepton/hadron discrimination; and a neutron detector. An anticoincidence system is used offline to reject false triggers. In this article the PAMELA experiment and its status are reviewed. A preliminary discussion of data recorded in-orbit is also presented.

About Separation of Hadron and Electromagnetic Cascades in the Pamela Calorimeter

Results of calibration of the PAMELA instrument at the CERN facilities are discussed. In September, 2003, the calibration of the Neutron Detector together with the Calorimeter was performed with th ...

The PAMELA space experiment: first year of operation

On the 15th of June 2006 the PAMELA experiment, mounted on the Resurs DK1 satellite, was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome and it has been collecting data since July 2006. PAMELA is a satellite ...

PAMELA: A payload for antimatter matter exploration and light-nuclei astrophysics - status and first results

PAMELA is a satellite-borne experiment designed for precision studies of the charged cosmic radiation. The primary scientific goal is the study of the antimatter component of the cosmic radiation (antiprotons, 80 MeV - 190 GeV; and positrons, 50 MeV - 270 GeV) in order to search for evidence of dark matter particle annihilations. PAMELA will also search for primordial antinuclei (in particular, anti-helium), and test cosmic-ray propagation models through precise measurements of the antiparticle energy spectrum and studies of light nuclei and their isotopes. Concomitant goals include a study of solar physics and solar modulation during the 24th solar minimum by investigating low energy particles in the cosmic radiation; and a reconstruction of the cosmic ray electron energy spectrum up to several TeV thereby allowing a possible contribution from local sources to be studied. PAMELA is housed on-board the Russian Resurs-DKl satellite, which was launched on June 15th 2006 in an elliptical (350-600 km altitude) orbit with an inclination of 70 degrees. PAMELA consists of a permanent magnet spectrometer, to provide rigidity and charge sign information; a Time-of-Flight and trigger system, for velocity and charge determination; a silicon-tungsten calorimeter, for lepton/hadron discrimination; and a neutron detector. An anticoincidence system is used offline to reject false triggers. In this article the PAMELA experiment and its status are reviewed. A preliminary discussion of data recorded in-orbit is also presented.