The GAPS Instrument: A Large Area Time of Flight and High Resolution Exotic Atom Spectrometer for Cosmic Antinuclei

GAPS Collaboration

The GAPS Instrument: A Large Area Time of Flight and High Resolution Exotic Atom Spectrometer for Cosmic Antinuclei

GAPS Collaboration

Radiation Imaging and Advanced Diagnosti

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

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Low-energy cosmic ray antideuterons (< 0.25 GeV/n) are a compelling, mostly uncharted channel of many viable dark matter models and benefit from highly suppressed astrophysical background. The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is a first-of-its-kind exotic-atom-based Antarctic balloon-borne experiment specialized for detection of low-energy antiprotons, antideuterons, and antihelium with a targeted launch in 2022. The results of novel technology development and a summary of current construction status are the focus of this contribution. GAPS exploits a novel antiparticle identification technique based on exotic atom formation and decay, allowing more active target material for a larger overall acceptance since no magnet is required. The GAPS instrument consists of a large-area (∼ 50 m²) scintillator time-of-flight, ten planes of custom silicon detectors with dedicated ASIC readout, and a novel oscillating heat pipe cooling approach. This contribution will briefly introduce the exotic atom detection technique. Following this, the instrument design will be discussed and detailed description of experimental hardware and expected performance will be presented. I will conclude with recent construction and testing progress while also highlighting developments of a scaled, integrated prototype.

Original language	English
Article number	079
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 by the Italian Space Agency through the ASI INFN agreement n. 2018-28-HH.0: "Partecipazione italiana al GAPS - General AntiParticle Spectrometer". R.A. Ong receives support from the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences. K. Perez receives support from the Heising-Simons Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. F. Rogers is supported through the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under grant 1122374. P. von Doetinchem receives support from the National Science Foundation under award PHY-1551980. H. Fuke receives support from JSPS KAKENHI grants JP26707015, JP17H01136, and JP19H05198. M. Kozai receives support from JSPS KAKENHI grant JP17K14313. S. Okazaki receives support from JSPS KAKENHI grant JP18K13928. Y. Shimizu receives support from Sumitomo Foundation grant.

Cite this

@article{8bc4225c35754a8ea1e3caa366bdac9d,

title = "The GAPS Instrument: A Large Area Time of Flight and High Resolution Exotic Atom Spectrometer for Cosmic Antinuclei",

abstract = "Low-energy cosmic ray antideuterons (< 0.25 GeV/n) are a compelling, mostly uncharted channel of many viable dark matter models and benefit from highly suppressed astrophysical background. The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is a first-of-its-kind exotic-atom-based Antarctic balloon-borne experiment specialized for detection of low-energy antiprotons, antideuterons, and antihelium with a targeted launch in 2022. The results of novel technology development and a summary of current construction status are the focus of this contribution. GAPS exploits a novel antiparticle identification technique based on exotic atom formation and decay, allowing more active target material for a larger overall acceptance since no magnet is required. The GAPS instrument consists of a large-area (∼ 50 m2) scintillator time-of-flight, ten planes of custom silicon detectors with dedicated ASIC readout, and a novel oscillating heat pipe cooling approach. This contribution will briefly introduce the exotic atom detection technique. Following this, the instrument design will be discussed and detailed description of experimental hardware and expected performance will be presented. I will conclude with recent construction and testing progress while also highlighting developments of a scaled, integrated prototype.",

author = "{GAPS Collaboration} and S. Quinn 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 M. Martucci and Mognet, {S. I.} and K. Munakata and R. Munini and Y. Nakagami and S. Okazaki and J. Olson and Ong, {R. A.} and G. Osteria and K. Perez and V. Re and E. Riceputi and B. Roach and F. Rogers and Ryan, {J. A.} and N. Saffold and M. Saijo and V. Scotti and Y. Shimizu and M. Sonzogni and R. Sparvoli and A. Stoessl and K. Tokunaga and E. Vannuccini and {von Doetinchem}, P. and T. Wada",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright owned by the author(s).; 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",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - The GAPS Instrument

T2 - 37th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2021

AU - GAPS Collaboration

AU - Quinn, S.

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 - Martucci, M.

AU - Mognet, S. I.

AU - Munakata, K.

AU - Munini, R.

AU - Nakagami, Y.

AU - Okazaki, S.

AU - Olson, J.

AU - Ong, R. A.

AU - Osteria, G.

AU - Perez, K.

AU - Re, V.

AU - Riceputi, E.

AU - Roach, B.

AU - Rogers, F.

AU - Ryan, J. A.

AU - Saffold, N.

AU - Saijo, M.

AU - Scotti, V.

AU - Shimizu, Y.

AU - Sonzogni, M.

AU - Sparvoli, R.

AU - Stoessl, A.

AU - Tokunaga, K.

AU - Vannuccini, E.

AU - von Doetinchem, P.

AU - Wada, T.

PY - 2022/3/18

Y1 - 2022/3/18

N2 - Low-energy cosmic ray antideuterons (< 0.25 GeV/n) are a compelling, mostly uncharted channel of many viable dark matter models and benefit from highly suppressed astrophysical background. The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is a first-of-its-kind exotic-atom-based Antarctic balloon-borne experiment specialized for detection of low-energy antiprotons, antideuterons, and antihelium with a targeted launch in 2022. The results of novel technology development and a summary of current construction status are the focus of this contribution. GAPS exploits a novel antiparticle identification technique based on exotic atom formation and decay, allowing more active target material for a larger overall acceptance since no magnet is required. The GAPS instrument consists of a large-area (∼ 50 m2) scintillator time-of-flight, ten planes of custom silicon detectors with dedicated ASIC readout, and a novel oscillating heat pipe cooling approach. This contribution will briefly introduce the exotic atom detection technique. Following this, the instrument design will be discussed and detailed description of experimental hardware and expected performance will be presented. I will conclude with recent construction and testing progress while also highlighting developments of a scaled, integrated prototype.

AB - Low-energy cosmic ray antideuterons (< 0.25 GeV/n) are a compelling, mostly uncharted channel of many viable dark matter models and benefit from highly suppressed astrophysical background. The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is a first-of-its-kind exotic-atom-based Antarctic balloon-borne experiment specialized for detection of low-energy antiprotons, antideuterons, and antihelium with a targeted launch in 2022. The results of novel technology development and a summary of current construction status are the focus of this contribution. GAPS exploits a novel antiparticle identification technique based on exotic atom formation and decay, allowing more active target material for a larger overall acceptance since no magnet is required. The GAPS instrument consists of a large-area (∼ 50 m2) scintillator time-of-flight, ten planes of custom silicon detectors with dedicated ASIC readout, and a novel oscillating heat pipe cooling approach. This contribution will briefly introduce the exotic atom detection technique. Following this, the instrument design will be discussed and detailed description of experimental hardware and expected performance will be presented. I will conclude with recent construction and testing progress while also highlighting developments of a scaled, integrated prototype.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130540540&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:85130540540

SN - 1824-8039

VL - 395

JO - Proceedings of Science

JF - Proceedings of Science

M1 - 079

Y2 - 12 July 2021 through 23 July 2021

ER -

The GAPS Instrument: A Large Area Time of Flight and High Resolution Exotic Atom Spectrometer for Cosmic Antinuclei

Abstract

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