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Qualification tests of the space telescope PAMELA
No full textPAMELA is a satellite-borne experiment which will investigate the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe and other cosmological problems through precise cosmic-ray measurements, The apparatus is built around a permanent magnetic spectrometer equipped with a double-sided silicon microstrip tracking system and surrounded by a scintillator anticoincidence system. Several detectors are used in parallel for particle identification: a silicon-tungsten imaging calorimeter, followed by a scintillator shower tail catcher, and a transition radiation detector made up of carbon fibre radiators and proportional straw tubes. Fast scintillators are used for Time-Of-Flight measurements and to provide the primary trigger. A neutron detector is finally provided to extend the range of particle measurements to very high energies. PAMELA will be operated on-board of the Resurs-DK1 satellite, which will be put into a semi-polar orbit in 2004 by a Soyuz rocket. Purpose of this paper is to report about the mechanical, thermal and electro-diagnostic tests aimed to space qualify the PAMELA telescope before the launch
Preface: The origins of cosmic rays: Resolving Hess's century-old puzzle
No full textThe origin of cosmic rays is a problem that has been haunting scientists for more than one century. Solving this problem means putting together different pieces of a complex puzzle, in which the chemical composition of the sources, their inner dynamics, the acceleration processes and finally the propagation, all fit together to provide a satisfactory and self-consistent global pictur
Direct measurements of cosmic rays
No full textIn this paper I will give a short overview of the physics of cosmic rays by direct measurements, describing the characteristics of the available space platforms and mentioning the most relevant experiments existing in the field
NINA: a silicon detector for cosmic-ray astrophysics
No full textThe NINA apparatus, on board the satellite Resurs-01 n.4, has been orbiting the Earth since July 10th, 1998, in polar revolution at 1 AU. Its scientific goal is the study of the galactic, solar and anomalous components of the cosmic rays in the range 10 200 MeV/n. After a description of the instrument, results of GCR fluxes measurements and of particle identification in orbit are presented. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B,V. All rights reserved
Direct measurements of cosmic rays in space
Full text linkDirect measurements of the chemical composition and fluxes of cosmic rays have always played a crucial role in advancing our understanding of both acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays. Direct detection is performed with three basic technologies: balloon-borne and satellite-borne detectors, and instruments placed aboard space stations. In this talk I will present the basic principles of direct detection and review the most important measurements made by past and present missions, with a view to future projects
The high-energy particle detector on board of the China seismo-electromagnetic satellite
No full textThe study of the Van Allen belts temporal stability is among the main objectives of the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) space mission, as well as the study of other electromagnetic disturbances with possible seismic origin. In parallel to this, the CSES mission will address issues of heliospheric and magnetospheric physics, by measuring the cosmic radiation around the Earth. The CSES satellite, developed by a Chinese-Italian collaboration, will be launched in the first half of 2017 and inserted into a circular Sun-synchronous orbit with 98° inclination and 500 km altitude. The expected lifetime is 5 years. CSES hosts several instruments on board: 2 magnetometers, an electric field detector, a plasma analyser, a Langmuir probe and a High-Energy Particle Detector (HEPD). The HEPD detector, responsibility of the Italian side of the CSES collaboration, will measure electrons (3 - 100 MeV) and protons (30 - 300 MeV) along CSES orbit. It consists of a segmented layer of plastic scintillators for the trigger and a calorimeter constituted by a tower of plastic scintillator counters and a LYSO plane. The direction of the incident particle is provided by two planes of double-side silicon micro-strip detectors placed in front of the trigger. Topic of this talk is the technical description of the HEPD and its main characteristics
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