The PAMELA Space Experiment

TL;DR

The PAMELA space experiment, launched in 2006, is a satellite mission designed to study cosmic rays, antimatter, and related phenomena with high precision over a broad energy range, aiming to detect dark matter signatures and understand cosmic-ray propagation.

Contribution

This paper introduces the PAMELA experiment's instrumentation, scientific goals, and its capabilities for high-precision measurements of cosmic-ray particles and antimatter.

Findings

Detection of antiprotons and positrons over a wide energy range

Search for primordial antinuclei such as anti-helium

Insights into cosmic-ray propagation and solar physics

Abstract

The 15th of June 2006, the PAMELA satellite-borne experiment was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome and it has been collecting data since July 2006. The apparatus comprises a time-of-flight system, a silicon-microstrip magnetic spectrometer, a silicon-tungsten electromagnetic calorimeter, an anticoincidence system, a shower tail counter scintillator and a neutron detector. The combination of these devices allows precision studies of the charged cosmic radiation to be conducted over a wide energy range (100 MeV -- 100's GeV) with high statistics. The primary scientific goal is the measurement of the antiproton and positron energy spectrum in order to search for exotic sources, such as dark matter particle annihilations. PAMELA is also searching for primordial antinuclei (anti-helium) and testing cosmic-ray propagation models through precise measurements of the anti-particle energy spectrum and precision studies of light nuclei and their isotopes. Moreover, PAMELA is investigating phenomena connected with solar and earth physics.