Published June 21, 2024 | Version v1
Journal article

Measurement of the cosmic p+He energy spectrum from 50 GeV to 0.5 PeV with the DAMPE space mission

  • 1. Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), Via Iacobucci 2, I-67100 L'Aquila, Italy
  • 2. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)—Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, I-67100 Assergi, L'Aquila, Italy
  • 3. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)—Sezione di Bari, I-70125, Bari, Italy
  • 4. State Key Laboratory of Particle Detection and Electronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
  • 5. Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
  • 6. Department of Nuclear and Particle Physics, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
  • 7. Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica E. De Giorgi, Università del Salento, I-73100, Lecce, Italy
  • 8. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)—Sezione di Lecce, I-73100, Lecce, Italy
  • 9. Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road 19B, Beijing 100049, China
  • 10. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road 19A, Beijing 100049, China
  • 11. Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210023, China
  • 12. School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China

Description

Recent observations of the light component of the cosmic-ray spectrum have revealed unexpected features that motivate further and more precise measurements up to the highest energies. The Dark Matter Particle Explorer is a satellite-based cosmic-ray experiment that has been operational since December 2015, continuously collecting data on high-energy cosmic particles with very good statistics, energy resolution, and particle identification capabilities. In this work, the latest measurements of the energy spectrum of proton+helium in the energy range from 46 GeV to 464 TeV are presented. Among the most distinctive features of the spectrum, a spectral hardening at 600 GeV has been observed, along with a softening at 29 TeV measured with a 6.6σ significance. Moreover, the detector features and the analysis approach allowed for the extension of the spectral measurement up to the sub-PeV region. Even if with small statistical significance due to the low number of events, data suggest a new spectral hardening at about 150 TeV.

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1103/PhysRevD.109.L121101;
arXiv
arXiv:2304.00137;
Crossref Funder ID
10.13039/501100002367; 10.13039/501100012166; 10.13039/501100010909; 10.13039/501100004739; 10.13039/501100001711; 10.13039/501100004007; 10.13039/501100000781;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review D
Journal Volume
109
Journal Issue
12
Journal Page Range
8 pgs.
ISSN
1089-4918

Optional Information

Copyright
© 2024 American Physical Society
Contract/Grant/Project number
2022YFF0503302; 12220101003; 11921003; 11903084; 12003076; 12022503; YSBR061; YESS20220197
Notes
Contact Email: dampe@pmo.ac.cn; Present address: Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica E. De Giorgi, Università del Salento, I-73100, Lecce, Italy and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)—Sezione di Lecce, I-73100, Lecce, Italy.; Present address: Istituto Nazionale Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Napoli, IT-80126 Napoli, Italy.; Present address: Institute of Physics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.; Present address: Department of Nuclear and Particle Physics, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland.; Present address: Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica "E. Segrè", Università degli Studi di Palermo, via delle Scienze ed. 17, I-90128 Palermo, Italy.; Present address: Shandong Institute of Advanced Technology (SDIAT), Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China.; Present address: Institute of Deep Space Sciences, Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, Hefei 230026, China.; Record automatically processed
Funding organization
Chinese Academy of Sciences; National Key Research and Development Program of China; Young Scientists Fund; Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung; Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare; European Research Council