Understanding the New High Energy Data-sets Measured by BESS, CAPRICE and PAMELA on Antiproton Flux and $\bar{P}/P$ Ratios

TL;DR

This paper analyzes recent high-precision antiproton flux and ratio data from multiple experiments, using a simple model to interpret the results without invoking exotic sources, highlighting challenges in understanding cosmic ray production.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive interpretation of antiproton data across various experiments using a simple leaky box model without exotic contributions.

Findings

Model successfully describes all measured data

Contrasts with positron production phenomena

Challenges in explaining antiproton data with secondary production

Abstract

Reliable data from the very recent high-precision measurements on the antiproton fluxes and the antiproton-to-proton ratios by the PAMELA Collaboration at relatively much higher energies are now available. The results with regard to antiproton production phenomena spring no special surprises; rather they are sharply in contrast with and contradiction to the case of positron production at the same energy-range. However, the totality of data on antiproton production from the past experiments to the very recent PAMELA outburst seem to be a very challenging exercise for interpretation in terms of the secondary production mechanisms alone, the galactic propagation model etc against the background of the `dark-matter'-related controversy. In the present work we assume the validity of the simple leaky box model, choose a simple particle production model and attempt at providing a comprehensive interpretation of the totality of data on both antiproton flux measurements and the $\overline{P}/P$ ratio-values for the various experiments ranging from BESS, CAPRICE to the latest PAMELA experiment. With the assumption of no contribution from the exotic sources to the antiproton production process, our model and the method describe the totality of the measured data with a fair degree of success.