Particle Physics in Birmingham

Particle Physics Seminar

Wednesday 4th February 2009 at 1:30pm
Poynting Small Lecture Theatre

(tea, coffee and biscuits served at 1:15pm)

Studies of cosmic antiparticles with PAMELA

Mark Pearce (Dept. of Physics, KTH, Stockholm)


Abstract

The PAMELA satellite experiment was launched into low earth orbit on June 15th 2006. The combination of a permanent magnet silicon strip spectrometer, and a silicon-tungsten imaging calorimeter allows precision studies of the charged cosmic radiation to be conducted over a wide energy range (~100 MeV – ~200 GeV). A primary scientific goal is to search for dark matter particle annihilations by measuring the energy spectra of cosmic ray antiparticles. Recent results from the PAMELA experiment will be reviewed with a particular focus on cosmic ray antiprotons and positrons.