Measurement of the cosmic ray nickel energy spectrum from 10 GeV/n to 2 TeV/n with the DAMPE

TL;DR

This paper reports a high-precision measurement of the cosmic ray nickel energy spectrum from 10 GeV/n to 2 TeV/n using DAMPE data, offering new insights into cosmic ray sources and propagation.

Contribution

It presents the first accurate measurement of the differential flux of cosmic ray nickel extending into the TeV/n range with nine years of data.

Findings

Nickel spectrum follows a single power law with index -2.60 +/- 0.03.

Spectrum consistent from 40 GeV/n to 1 TeV/n.

First measurement of nickel flux extending to TeV/n energies.

Abstract

Nickel, one of the most stable elements alongside iron, is the most abundant heavy element beyond iron in cosmic rays. With DAMPE's excellent charge resolution and broad energy range, a high-precision energy spectrum provides valuable insights into the acceleration sources of heavy nuclei and their propagation through the interstellar medium. In this analysis, we report the direct measurement of cosmic-ray nickel spectrum from 10 GeV/n to 2 TeV/n with nine years of flight data. The nickel spectrum is consistent with a single power law with spectral index -2.60 +/- 0.03 from 40 GeV/n to 1 TeV/n. This work provides an accurate measurement of differential flux of nickel with kinetic energy extending to TeV/n for the first time.