The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is a space born detector for cosmic rays (CR) built from an international collaboration, which is operating aboard of the International Space Station (ISS), collectiong several billions of high energy protons, electrons and nuclei. The launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour - flight STS-134 carrying AMS-02 - took place on 16 May 2011 and the spectrometer was installed on 19 May 2011.
In addition to the high precision measurements of CR species, from hydrogen to nickel, the main scientific goals of AMS-02 are the search for cosmic antimatter (mainly primary antihelium nuclei, that have a too little probability to be produced by the interactions between cosmic rays and the interstellar medium), dark matter, throught its annihilation products, and new exotic form of matter, like strangelets.
A first version of the detector, known as AMS-01, has flown aboard of the shuttle Discovery during the STS-91 mission (2-12 June 1998), collecting about hundred millions of cosmic rays. This trial mission confirmed the main ideas of the project and gave important hints for the future developments.
AMS-02 Bologna TOF group is active in the following fields:
AMS-02 data inaugurate a new precision era for astroparticle physics, leading to a modern description of CRs production and propagation:
For the forthcoming results concerning AMS-02 data description with GALPROP plus Helmod see http://www.helmod.org/ and https://galprop.stanford.edu/ web sites.
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In addition to the high precision measurements of CR species, from hydrogen to nickel, the main scientific goals of AMS-02 are the search for cosmic antimatter (mainly primary antihelium nuclei, that have a too little probability to be produced by the interactions between cosmic rays and the interstellar medium), dark matter, throught its annihilation products, and new exotic form of matter, like strangelets.
A first version of the detector, known as AMS-01, has flown aboard of the shuttle Discovery during the STS-91 mission (2-12 June 1998), collecting about hundred millions of cosmic rays. This trial mission confirmed the main ideas of the project and gave important hints for the future developments.
AMS-02 Bologna TOF group is active in the following fields:
- AMS-02 Time-of-Flight detector construction, calibration and maintenance
- Data taking and monitoring at CERN
- Data analysis (time stability of the experiment, strangelets analysis, heavy ions analysis)
- Interpretation of CR data with models of generation and propagation in the Galaxy and Solar System: collaboration with Igor Moskalenko's GALPROP team and Milano Bicocca HelMod group
- Study of astrophysical and nuclear uncertainties for indirect search for dark matter and characterization of dark datter candidates
- Collaboration with COMPASS experiment for the analysis of antiproton production cross section measurements at CERN
- ASI Space Weather Working Group activities
- Scientific dissemination in Emilia Romagna
AMS-02 data inaugurate a new precision era for astroparticle physics, leading to a modern description of CRs production and propagation:
- Solution of Heliospheric Propagation: Unveiling the Local Interstellar Spectra of Cosmic-ray Species
- HelMod in the Works: From Direct Observations to the Local Interstellar Spectrum of Cosmic-Ray Electrons
- Deciphering the Local Interstellar Spectra of Primary Cosmic-Ray Species with HelMod
- Deciphering the local Interstellar spectra of secondary nuclei with GALPROP/HelMod framework and a hint for primary lithium in cosmic rays
- Inference of the Local Interstellar Spectra of Cosmic Ray Nuclei Z 28 with the GALPROP–HELMOD Framework
For the forthcoming results concerning AMS-02 data description with GALPROP plus Helmod see http://www.helmod.org/ and https://galprop.stanford.edu/ web sites.
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