Detection of the high energy component of Jovian electrons in Low Earth Orbit with the PAMELA experiment

TL;DR

The PAMELA experiment in Low Earth Orbit can distinguish between galactic and Jovian electrons above 50 MeV, enabling detailed study of their spectra and reacceleration processes at the Solar Wind Termination Shock.

Contribution

This work demonstrates PAMELA's capability to separate and measure Jovian and galactic electron components using long-term observations and Earth-Jupiter correlations.

Findings

Able to measure electron spectra above 50 MeV

Separation of galactic and Jovian electron contributions

Potential to study electron reacceleration at the Solar Wind Termination Shock

Abstract

The PAMELA experiment is devoted to the study of cosmic rays in Low Earth Orbit with an apparatus optimized to perform a precise determination of the galactic antimatter component of c.r. It is constituted by a number of detectors built around a permanent magnet spectrometer. PAMELA was launched in space on June 15th 2006 on board the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite for a mission duration of three years. The characteristics of the detectors, the long lifetime and the orbit of the satellite, will allow to address several aspects of cosmic-ray physics. In this work we discuss the observational capabilities of PAMELA to detect the electron component above 50 MeV. The magnetic spectrometer allows a detailed measurement of the energy spectrum of electrons of galactic and Jovian origin. Long term measurements and correlations with Earth-Jupiter 13 months synodic period will allow to separate these two contributions and to measure the primary electron Jovian component, dominant in the 50-70 MeV energy range. With this technique it will also be possible to study the contribution to the electron spectrum of Jovian e- reaccelerated up to 2 GeV at the Solar Wind Termination Shock.