Measurement of the isotopic composition of hydrogen and helium nuclei in cosmic rays with the PAMELA experiment

TL;DR

This paper reports new measurements of hydrogen and helium isotopic compositions in cosmic rays using the PAMELA satellite, providing insights into cosmic ray propagation during the solar minimum period.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed isotopic measurements of cosmic ray H and He nuclei in the specified energy ranges during the 23rd solar minimum.

Findings

Isotopic ratios measured between 100-600 MeV/n for H and 100-900 MeV/n for He.

Data provides new constraints on cosmic ray propagation models.

Results are consistent with and complement existing secondary to primary measurements.

Abstract

The satellite-borne experiment PAMELA has been used to make new measurements of cosmic ray H and He isotopes. The isotopic composition was measured between 100 and 600 MeV/n for hydrogen and between 100 and 900 MeV/n for helium isotopes over the 23rd solar minimum from July 2006 to December 2007. The energy spectrum of these components carries fundamental information regarding the propagation of cosmic rays in the galaxy which are competitive with those obtained from other secondary to primary measurements such as B/C.