Precision measurements of cosmic ray electron and positron spectra above 50 MeV with the PAMELA magnetic spectrometer

Abstract

Abstract The PAMELA experiment with magnetic spectrometer operated almost ten years on board of the Resurs DK1 satellite. The satellite was launched on 15 June 2006 on polar orbit with an inclination of 70° and an altitude of 350–610 km. The spectrometer continuously measured charged cosmic ray particles in wide energy range from about 50 MeV up to several TeV. In this work the spectra of electrons and positrons averaged over one year were obtained from July of 2006 until January 2016, i.e. from the end of 23th and at the beginning of 24th solar cycle including the period of interplanetary magnetic field polarity reversal. These precise long duration time-dependent measurements of the electron and positron spectra are important to estimate possible contributions of exotic cosmic ray sources such as dark matter annihilation or decay.