First result from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station: precision measurement of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays of 0.5-350 GeV

Search at the Mainz Microtron for light massive gauge bosons relevant for the muon g-2 anomaly

A massive, but light, Abelian U(1) gauge boson is a well-motivated possible signature of physics beyond the standard model of particle physics. In this Letter, the search for the signal of such a U(1) gauge boson in electron-positron pair production at the spectrometer setup of the A1 Collaboration at the Mainz Microtron is described. Exclusion limits in the mass range of 40  MeV/c^{2} to 300  MeV/c^{2}, with a sensitivity in the squared mixing parameter of as little as ε^{2}=8×10^{-7} are presented. A large fraction of the parameter space has been excluded where the discrepancy of the measured anomalous magnetic moment of the muon with theory might be explained by an additional U(1) gauge boson.

Indirect detection of dark matter with γ rays

The details of what constitutes the majority of the mass that makes up dark matter in the Universe remains one of the prime puzzles of cosmology and particle physics today-80 y after the first observational indications. Today, it is widely accepted that dark matter exists and that it is very likely composed of elementary particles, which are weakly interacting and massive [weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs)]. As important as dark matter is in our understanding of cosmology, the detection of these particles has thus far been elusive. Their primary properties such as mass and interaction cross sections are still unknown. Indirect detection searches for the products of WIMP annihilation or decay. This is generally done through observations of γ-ray photons or cosmic rays. Instruments such as the Fermi large-area telescope, high-energy stereoscopic system, major atmospheric gamma-ray imaging Cherenkov, and very energetic radiation imaging telescope array, combined with the future Cherenkov telescope array, will provide important complementarity to other search techniques. Given the expected sensitivities of all search techniques, we are at a stage where the WIMP scenario is facing stringent tests, and it can be expected that WIMPs will be either be detected or the scenario will be so severely constrained that it will have to be rethought. In this sense, we are on the threshold of discovery. In this article, I will give a general overview of the current status and future expectations for indirect searches of dark matter (WIMP) particles.

AMS-02 results support the secondary origin of cosmic ray positrons

We show that the recent AMS-02 positron fraction measurement is consistent with a secondary origin for positrons and does not require additional primary sources such as pulsars or dark matter. The measured positron fraction at high energy saturates the previously predicted upper bound for secondary production, obtained by neglecting radiative losses. This coincidence, which will be further tested by upcoming AMS-02 data at higher energy, is a compelling indication for a secondary source. Within the secondary model, the AMS-02 data imply a cosmic ray propagation time in the Galaxy of <10(6) yr and an average traversed interstellar matter density of ~1 cm(-3), comparable to the density of the Milky Way gaseous disk, at a rigidity of 300 GV.

New limits on dark matter annihilation from Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer cosmic ray positron data

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment onboard the International Space Station has recently provided cosmic ray electron and positron data with unprecedented precision in the range from 0.5 to 350 GeV. The observed rise in the positron fraction at energies above 10 GeV remains unexplained, with proposed solutions ranging from local pulsars to TeV-scale dark matter. Here, we make use of this high quality data to place stringent limits on dark matter with masses below ~300 GeV, annihilating or decaying to leptonic final states, essentially independent of the origin of this rise. We significantly improve on existing constraints, in some cases by up to 2 orders of magnitude.

Cosmic Rays in the Milky Way and Beyond

Cosmic rays (CRs) are the probes of the deep space. They allow us to study particle acceleration, chemical composition of the interstellar medium, and global properties of our Galaxy. However, until recently studies of CRs were similar to astronomical observations with blurred lenses that capture only the integral brightness of all stars in the field of view. Thanks to the recent technological developments, our "lenses" are now capable of capturing sharp images and making precise measurements of all CR species. We have a full range of unique instrumentation for direct measurements of CRs in space and for multi-wavelength observations of their emissions and more missions are coming. The unveiling picture is astonishing. This paper gives a short overview of very exciting developments in astrophysics of CRs in the Milky Way and in other star-forming galaxies.

Cosmic-ray positron energy spectrum measured by PAMELA

Precision measurements of the positron component in the cosmic radiation provide important information about the propagation of cosmic rays and the nature of particle sources in our Galaxy. The satellite-borne experiment PAMELA has been used to make a new measurement of the cosmic-ray positron flux and fraction that extends previously published measurements up to 300 GeV in kinetic energy. The combined measurements of the cosmic-ray positron energy spectrum and fraction provide a unique tool to constrain interpretation models. During the recent solar minimum activity period from July 2006 to December 2009, approximately 24,500 positrons were observed. The results cannot be easily reconciled with purely secondary production, and additional sources of either astrophysical or exotic origin may be required.

Natural Higgs-flavor-democracy solution of the μ problem of supersymmetry and the QCD axion

We show that the hierarchically small μ term in supersymmetric theories is a consequence of two identical pairs of Higgs doublets taking a democratic form for their mass matrix. We briefly discuss the discrete symmetry S(2)×S(2) toward the democratic mass matrix. Then, we show that there results an approximate Peccei-Quinn symmetry and hence the value μ is related to the axion decay constant.

Three-dimensional model of cosmic-ray lepton propagation reproduces data from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station

We study the compatibility of Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) data on the cosmic-ray (CR) positron fraction with data on the CR electron and positron spectra provided by PAMELA and Fermi LAT. We do that in terms of a novel propagation model in which sources are distributed in spiral arm patterns in agreement with astrophysical observations. While former interpretations assumed an unrealistically steep injection spectrum for astrophysical background electrons, the enhanced energy losses experienced by CR leptons due to the larger average source distance from Earth allow us to reproduce the data with harder injection spectra as expected in a shock acceleration scenario. Moreover, we show that in this approach, and accounting for AMS-02 results, the contribution of nearby accelerators to the fluxes at very high energy can be significantly reduced, thus avoiding any tension with anisotropy upper limits.

Physics of reflective optics for the soft gamma-ray photon energy range

Traditional multilayer reflective optics that have been used in the past for imaging at x-ray photon energies as high as 200 keV are governed by classical wave phenomena. However, their behavior at higher energies is unknown, because of the increasing effect of incoherent scattering and the disagreement between experimental and theoretical optical properties of materials in the hard x-ray and gamma-ray regimes. Here, we demonstrate that multilayer reflective optics can operate efficiently and according to classical wave physics up to photon energies of at least 384 keV. We also use particle transport simulations to quantitatively determine that incoherent scattering takes place in the mirrors but it does not affect the performance at the Bragg angles of operation. Our results open up new possibilities of reflective optical designs in a spectral range where only diffractive optics (crystals and lenses) and crystal monochromators have been available until now.