Origin Of The Cosmic Ray Positrons Observed Near Earth- Meson Decay Or Dark Matter Decay?

TL;DR

This paper argues that the observed high-energy cosmic ray positrons near Earth are primarily produced by meson decay resulting from primary cosmic rays interacting with the local interstellar medium.

Contribution

It provides evidence that the positron flux can be explained by meson decay, challenging the need for dark matter decay as the primary source.

Findings

Positron flux matches predictions from meson decay models.

Dark matter decay is not necessary to explain observed positrons.

Supports local interstellar medium interactions as the main source.

Abstract

We show that the flux of the high-energy cosmic ray positrons observed near Earth is that expected from the decay of mesons produced by the primary cosmic rays (CRs) in the local interstellar medium.