The GAPS experiment – a search for cosmic-ray antinuclei from dark matter
Abstract The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is a balloon-borne experiment that aims to study low-energy cosmic-ray antinuclei. A novel detection concept that utilizes the physics of exotic atoms allows GAPS to realize a large sensitive area, a low energy threshold, and a high identificatio...
| Published in: | Journal of Physics: Conference Series |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | unknown |
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IOP Publishing
2020
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1468/1/012049 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1468/1/012049/pdf https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1468/1/012049 |
| Summary: | Abstract The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is a balloon-borne experiment that aims to study low-energy cosmic-ray antinuclei. A novel detection concept that utilizes the physics of exotic atoms allows GAPS to realize a large sensitive area, a low energy threshold, and a high identification capability for antinuclei. The primary goal is to search for antideuterons in the energy region <0.25 GeV/n, where they are predicted to be backgroundfree probes for dark matter-annihilation or decay in the Galactic halo. GAPS will also measure precise low-energy antiproton spectra, which provide crucial information about the source and propagation of cosmic rays. Three flights on long-duration balloons from Antarctica are planned; the first flight of GAPS is scheduled for late 2021. This paper presents the scientific motivation, detection concept, development status, and plans for GAPS. |
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