Detection of the high energy component of Jovian electrons in Low Earth Orbit with the PAMELA experiment

作者：Casolino M^*; De Simone N; Di Felice V; Picozza P

来源：Advances in Space Research, 2008, 41(1): 168-173.

DOI：10.1016/j.asr.2007.07.024

• cosmic rays
• satellite-borne experiment
• solar wind
• Jovian electrons

The PAMELA experiment is devoted to the study of cosmic rays in Low Earth Orbit with an apparatus optimized to perform a precise determination of the galactic antimatter component of c.r. It is constituted by a number of detectors built around a permanent magnet spectrometer. PAMELA was launched in space on June 15th 2006 on board the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite for a mission duration of 3 years. The characteristics of the detectors, the long lifetime and the orbit of the satellite, will allow to address several aspects of cosmic-ray physics. In this work we discuss the observational capabilities of PAMELA to detect the electron component above 50 MeV. The magnetic spectrometer allows a detailed measurement of the energy spectrum of electrons of galactic and Jovian origin. Long term measurements and correlations with Earth-Jupiter 13 months synodic period will allow to separate these two contributions and to measure the primary electron Jovian component, dominant in the 50-70 MeV energy range. With this technique it will also be possible to study the contribution to the electron spectrum of Jovian e(-) reaccelerated up to 2 GeV at the Solar Wind Termination Shock.

• 出版日期2008