Searching for cosmic antihelium nuclei with the GAPS experiment

GAPS Collaboration

Searching for cosmic antihelium nuclei with the GAPS experiment

GAPS Collaboration

Radiation Imaging and Advanced Diagnosti

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

At low energies, cosmic antideuterons and antihelium provide an ultra-low background signature of dark matter annihilation, decay, and other beyond the Standard Model phenomena. The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is an Antarctic balloon experiment designed to search for low-energy (0.1−0.3 GeV/n) antinuclei, and is planned to launch in the austral summer of 2022. While optimized for an antideuteron search, GAPS also has unprecedented capabilites for the detection of low-energy antihelium nuclei, utilizing a novel detection technique based on the formation, decay, and annihilation of exotic atoms. The AMS-02 collaboration has recently reported several antihelium nuclei candidate events, which sets GAPS in a unique position to set constraints on the cosmic antihelium flux in an energy region which is essentially free of astrophysical background. In this contribution, we illustrate the capabilities of GAPS to search for cosmic antihelium-3 utilizing complete instrument simulations, event reconstruction, and the inclusion of atmospheric effects. We show that GAPS is capable of setting unprecedented limits on the cosmic antihelium flux, opening a new window on exotic cosmic physics.

Original language	English
Article number	499
Journal	Proceedings of Science
Volume	395
State	Published - Mar 18 2022
Event	37th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2021 - Virtual, Berlin, Germany Duration: Jul 12 2021 → Jul 23 2021

Funding

This work is supported in the U.S. by NASA APRA grants (NNX17AB44G, NNX17AB45G, NNX17AB46G, and NNX17AB47G), in Japan by JAXA/ISAS Small Science Program FY2017, and in Italy by Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) and the Italian Space Agency through ASI INFN agreement No. 2018-28-HH.0: “Partecipazione italiana al GAPS - General AntiParticle Spectrometer”. F. Rogers is supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. 1122374. P. von Doetinchem received support from the National Science Foundation under award PHY-1551980. H. Fuke is supported by JSPS KAKENHI grants (JP17H01136 and JP19H05198) and Mitsubishi Foundation Research Grant 2019-10038. K. Perez and M. Xiao are supported by Heising-Simons award 2018-0766. Y. Shimizu receives support from JSPS KAKENHI grant JP20K04002 and Sumitomo Foundation Grant No. 180322. Technical support and advanced computing resources from the University of Hawaii Information Technology Services – Cyberinfrastructure are gratefully acknowledged. This research was done using resources provided by the Open Science Grid [21, 22], which is supported by the National Science Foundation award #2030508.

Funders	Funder number
ASI INFN
National Science Foundation	1122374, PHY-1551980
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	NNX17AB47G, NNX17AB46G, NNX17AB45G, NNX17AB44G
Sumitomo Foundation	180322, 2030508
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science	JP17H01136, JP19H05198
Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Mitsubishi Foundation	2019-10038, 2018-0766, JP20K04002
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science

Cite this

@article{ed4b159dada6483db064b684a9664c9d,

title = "Searching for cosmic antihelium nuclei with the GAPS experiment",

abstract = "At low energies, cosmic antideuterons and antihelium provide an ultra-low background signature of dark matter annihilation, decay, and other beyond the Standard Model phenomena. The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is an Antarctic balloon experiment designed to search for low-energy (0.1−0.3 GeV/n) antinuclei, and is planned to launch in the austral summer of 2022. While optimized for an antideuteron search, GAPS also has unprecedented capabilites for the detection of low-energy antihelium nuclei, utilizing a novel detection technique based on the formation, decay, and annihilation of exotic atoms. The AMS-02 collaboration has recently reported several antihelium nuclei candidate events, which sets GAPS in a unique position to set constraints on the cosmic antihelium flux in an energy region which is essentially free of astrophysical background. In this contribution, we illustrate the capabilities of GAPS to search for cosmic antihelium-3 utilizing complete instrument simulations, event reconstruction, and the inclusion of atmospheric effects. We show that GAPS is capable of setting unprecedented limits on the cosmic antihelium flux, opening a new window on exotic cosmic physics.",

author = "{GAPS Collaboration} and A. Stoessl and T. Aramaki and R. Bird and M. Boezio and Boggs, {S. E.} and V. Bonvicini and D. Campana and Craig, {W. W.} and E. Everson and L. Fabris and H. Fuke and F. Gahbauer and I. Garcia and C. Gerrity and Hailey, {C. J.} and T. Hayashi and C. Kato and A. Kawachi and S. Kobayashi and M. Kozai and A. Lenni and A. Lowell and M. Manghisoni and N. Marcelli and Mognet, {S. A.I.} and K. Munakata and R. Munini and Y. Nakagami and J. Olson and Ong, {R. A.} and G. Osteria and K. Perez and S. Quinn and V. Re and E. Riceputi and B. Roach and F. Rogers and Ryan, {J. A.} and N. Saffold and V. Scotti and Y. Shimizu and M. Sonzogni and R. Sparvoli and A. Stoessl and A. Tiberio and E. Vannuccini and {von Doetinchem}, P. and T. Wada and M. Xiao and M. Yamatami",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons.; 37th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2021 ; Conference date: 12-07-2021 Through 23-07-2021",

year = "2022",

month = mar,

day = "18",

language = "English",

volume = "395",

journal = "Proceedings of Science",

issn = "1824-8039",

publisher = "Sissa Medialab",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Searching for cosmic antihelium nuclei with the GAPS experiment

AU - GAPS Collaboration

AU - Stoessl, A.

AU - Aramaki, T.

AU - Bird, R.

AU - Boezio, M.

AU - Boggs, S. E.

AU - Bonvicini, V.

AU - Campana, D.

AU - Craig, W. W.

AU - Everson, E.

AU - Fabris, L.

AU - Fuke, H.

AU - Gahbauer, F.

AU - Garcia, I.

AU - Gerrity, C.

AU - Hailey, C. J.

AU - Hayashi, T.

AU - Kato, C.

AU - Kawachi, A.

AU - Kobayashi, S.

AU - Kozai, M.

AU - Lenni, A.

AU - Lowell, A.

AU - Manghisoni, M.

AU - Marcelli, N.

AU - Mognet, S. A.I.

AU - Munakata, K.

AU - Munini, R.

AU - Nakagami, Y.

AU - Olson, J.

AU - Ong, R. A.

AU - Osteria, G.

AU - Perez, K.

AU - Quinn, S.

AU - Re, V.

AU - Riceputi, E.

AU - Roach, B.

AU - Rogers, F.

AU - Ryan, J. A.

AU - Saffold, N.

AU - Scotti, V.

AU - Shimizu, Y.

AU - Sonzogni, M.

AU - Sparvoli, R.

AU - Stoessl, A.

AU - Tiberio, A.

AU - Vannuccini, E.

AU - von Doetinchem, P.

AU - Wada, T.

AU - Xiao, M.

AU - Yamatami, M.

PY - 2022/3/18

Y1 - 2022/3/18

N2 - At low energies, cosmic antideuterons and antihelium provide an ultra-low background signature of dark matter annihilation, decay, and other beyond the Standard Model phenomena. The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is an Antarctic balloon experiment designed to search for low-energy (0.1−0.3 GeV/n) antinuclei, and is planned to launch in the austral summer of 2022. While optimized for an antideuteron search, GAPS also has unprecedented capabilites for the detection of low-energy antihelium nuclei, utilizing a novel detection technique based on the formation, decay, and annihilation of exotic atoms. The AMS-02 collaboration has recently reported several antihelium nuclei candidate events, which sets GAPS in a unique position to set constraints on the cosmic antihelium flux in an energy region which is essentially free of astrophysical background. In this contribution, we illustrate the capabilities of GAPS to search for cosmic antihelium-3 utilizing complete instrument simulations, event reconstruction, and the inclusion of atmospheric effects. We show that GAPS is capable of setting unprecedented limits on the cosmic antihelium flux, opening a new window on exotic cosmic physics.

AB - At low energies, cosmic antideuterons and antihelium provide an ultra-low background signature of dark matter annihilation, decay, and other beyond the Standard Model phenomena. The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is an Antarctic balloon experiment designed to search for low-energy (0.1−0.3 GeV/n) antinuclei, and is planned to launch in the austral summer of 2022. While optimized for an antideuteron search, GAPS also has unprecedented capabilites for the detection of low-energy antihelium nuclei, utilizing a novel detection technique based on the formation, decay, and annihilation of exotic atoms. The AMS-02 collaboration has recently reported several antihelium nuclei candidate events, which sets GAPS in a unique position to set constraints on the cosmic antihelium flux in an energy region which is essentially free of astrophysical background. In this contribution, we illustrate the capabilities of GAPS to search for cosmic antihelium-3 utilizing complete instrument simulations, event reconstruction, and the inclusion of atmospheric effects. We show that GAPS is capable of setting unprecedented limits on the cosmic antihelium flux, opening a new window on exotic cosmic physics.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85133595940&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:85133595940

SN - 1824-8039

VL - 395

JO - Proceedings of Science

JF - Proceedings of Science

M1 - 499

T2 - 37th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2021

Y2 - 12 July 2021 through 23 July 2021

ER -

Searching for cosmic antihelium nuclei with the GAPS experiment

Abstract

Funding

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