Search for antihelium with the BESS-polar spectrometer

K. Abe; H. Fuke; S. Haino; T. Hams; M. Hasegawa; A. Horikoshi; A. Itazaki; K. C. Kim; T. Kumazawa; A. Kusumoto; M. H. Lee; Y. Makida; S. Matsuda; Y. Matsukawa; K. Matsumoto; J. W. Mitchell; Z. Myers; J. Nishimura; M. Nozaki; R. Orito; J. F. Ormes; K. Sakai; M. Sasaki; E. S. Seo; Y. Shikaze; R. Shinoda; R. E. Streitmatter; J. Suzuki; Y. Takasugi; K. Takeuchi; K. Tanaka; N. Thakur; T. Yamagami; A. Yamamoto; T. Yoshida; K. Yoshimura

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.131301

Search for antihelium with the BESS-polar spectrometer

K. Abe, H. Fuke, S. Haino, T. Hams, M. Hasegawa, A. Horikoshi, A. Itazaki, K. C. Kim, T. Kumazawa, A. Kusumoto, M. H. Lee, Y. Makida, S. Matsuda, Y. Matsukawa, K. Matsumoto, J. W. Mitchell, Z. Myers, J. Nishimura, M. Nozaki, R. OritoJ. F. Ormes, K. Sakai, M. Sasaki, E. S. Seo, Y. Shikaze, R. Shinoda, R. E. Streitmatter, J. Suzuki, Y. Takasugi, K. Takeuchi, K. Tanaka, N. Thakur, T. Yamagami, A. Yamamoto, T. Yoshida, K. Yoshimura

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Abstract

In two long-duration balloon flights over Antarctica, the Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) collaboration has searched for antihelium in the cosmic radiation with the highest sensitivity reported. BESS-Polar I flew in 2004, observing for 8.5 days. BESS-Polar II flew in 2007-2008, observing for 24.5 days. No antihelium candidate was found in BESS-Polar I data among 8.4×106 |Z|=2 nuclei from 1.0 to 20 GV or in BESS-Polar II data among 4.0×107 |Z|=2 nuclei from 1.0 to 14 GV. Assuming antihelium to have the same spectral shape as helium, a 95% confidence upper limit to the possible abundance of antihelium relative to helium of 6.9×10 ^-8 was determined combining all BESS data, including the two BESS-Polar flights. With no assumed antihelium spectrum and a weighted average of the lowest antihelium efficiencies for each flight, an upper limit of 1.0×10 ^-7 from 1.6 to 14 GV was determined for the combined BESS-Polar data. Under both antihelium spectral assumptions, these are the lowest limits obtained to date.

Original language	English
Article number	131301
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	108
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.131301
Publication status	Published - Mar 29 2012
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy(all)

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.131301

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Abe, K., Fuke, H., Haino, S., Hams, T., Hasegawa, M., Horikoshi, A., Itazaki, A., Kim, K. C., Kumazawa, T., Kusumoto, A., Lee, M. H., Makida, Y., Matsuda, S., Matsukawa, Y., Matsumoto, K., Mitchell, J. W., Myers, Z., Nishimura, J., Nozaki, M., ... Yoshimura, K. (2012). Search for antihelium with the BESS-polar spectrometer. Physical Review Letters, 108(13), [131301]. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.131301

Abe, K, Fuke, H, Haino, S, Hams, T, Hasegawa, M, Horikoshi, A, Itazaki, A, Kim, KC, Kumazawa, T, Kusumoto, A, Lee, MH, Makida, Y, Matsuda, S, Matsukawa, Y, Matsumoto, K, Mitchell, JW, Myers, Z, Nishimura, J, Nozaki, M, Orito, R, Ormes, JF, Sakai, K, Sasaki, M, Seo, ES, Shikaze, Y, Shinoda, R, Streitmatter, RE, Suzuki, J, Takasugi, Y, Takeuchi, K, Tanaka, K, Thakur, N, Yamagami, T, Yamamoto, A, Yoshida, T & Yoshimura, K 2012, 'Search for antihelium with the BESS-polar spectrometer', Physical Review Letters, vol. 108, no. 13, 131301. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.131301

@article{40c351da949b4313bc60b04c2b5ca59e,

title = "Search for antihelium with the BESS-polar spectrometer",

abstract = "In two long-duration balloon flights over Antarctica, the Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) collaboration has searched for antihelium in the cosmic radiation with the highest sensitivity reported. BESS-Polar I flew in 2004, observing for 8.5 days. BESS-Polar II flew in 2007-2008, observing for 24.5 days. No antihelium candidate was found in BESS-Polar I data among 8.4×106 |Z|=2 nuclei from 1.0 to 20 GV or in BESS-Polar II data among 4.0×107 |Z|=2 nuclei from 1.0 to 14 GV. Assuming antihelium to have the same spectral shape as helium, a 95% confidence upper limit to the possible abundance of antihelium relative to helium of 6.9×10 -8 was determined combining all BESS data, including the two BESS-Polar flights. With no assumed antihelium spectrum and a weighted average of the lowest antihelium efficiencies for each flight, an upper limit of 1.0×10 -7 from 1.6 to 14 GV was determined for the combined BESS-Polar data. Under both antihelium spectral assumptions, these are the lowest limits obtained to date.",

author = "K. Abe and H. Fuke and S. Haino and T. Hams and M. Hasegawa and A. Horikoshi and A. Itazaki and Kim, {K. C.} and T. Kumazawa and A. Kusumoto and Lee, {M. H.} and Y. Makida and S. Matsuda and Y. Matsukawa and K. Matsumoto and Mitchell, {J. W.} and Z. Myers and J. Nishimura and M. Nozaki and R. Orito and Ormes, {J. F.} and K. Sakai and M. Sasaki and Seo, {E. S.} and Y. Shikaze and R. Shinoda and Streitmatter, {R. E.} and J. Suzuki and Y. Takasugi and K. Takeuchi and K. Tanaka and N. Thakur and T. Yamagami and A. Yamamoto and T. Yoshida and K. Yoshimura",

year = "2012",

month = mar,

day = "29",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.131301",

language = "English",

volume = "108",

journal = "Physical Review Letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "13",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Search for antihelium with the BESS-polar spectrometer

AU - Abe, K.

AU - Fuke, H.

AU - Haino, S.

AU - Hams, T.

AU - Hasegawa, M.

AU - Horikoshi, A.

AU - Itazaki, A.

AU - Kim, K. C.

AU - Kumazawa, T.

AU - Kusumoto, A.

AU - Lee, M. H.

AU - Makida, Y.

AU - Matsuda, S.

AU - Matsukawa, Y.

AU - Matsumoto, K.

AU - Mitchell, J. W.

AU - Myers, Z.

AU - Nishimura, J.

AU - Nozaki, M.

AU - Orito, R.

AU - Ormes, J. F.

AU - Sakai, K.

AU - Sasaki, M.

AU - Seo, E. S.

AU - Shikaze, Y.

AU - Shinoda, R.

AU - Streitmatter, R. E.

AU - Suzuki, J.

AU - Takasugi, Y.

AU - Takeuchi, K.

AU - Tanaka, K.

AU - Thakur, N.

AU - Yamagami, T.

AU - Yamamoto, A.

AU - Yoshida, T.

AU - Yoshimura, K.

PY - 2012/3/29

Y1 - 2012/3/29

N2 - In two long-duration balloon flights over Antarctica, the Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) collaboration has searched for antihelium in the cosmic radiation with the highest sensitivity reported. BESS-Polar I flew in 2004, observing for 8.5 days. BESS-Polar II flew in 2007-2008, observing for 24.5 days. No antihelium candidate was found in BESS-Polar I data among 8.4×106 |Z|=2 nuclei from 1.0 to 20 GV or in BESS-Polar II data among 4.0×107 |Z|=2 nuclei from 1.0 to 14 GV. Assuming antihelium to have the same spectral shape as helium, a 95% confidence upper limit to the possible abundance of antihelium relative to helium of 6.9×10 -8 was determined combining all BESS data, including the two BESS-Polar flights. With no assumed antihelium spectrum and a weighted average of the lowest antihelium efficiencies for each flight, an upper limit of 1.0×10 -7 from 1.6 to 14 GV was determined for the combined BESS-Polar data. Under both antihelium spectral assumptions, these are the lowest limits obtained to date.

AB - In two long-duration balloon flights over Antarctica, the Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) collaboration has searched for antihelium in the cosmic radiation with the highest sensitivity reported. BESS-Polar I flew in 2004, observing for 8.5 days. BESS-Polar II flew in 2007-2008, observing for 24.5 days. No antihelium candidate was found in BESS-Polar I data among 8.4×106 |Z|=2 nuclei from 1.0 to 20 GV or in BESS-Polar II data among 4.0×107 |Z|=2 nuclei from 1.0 to 14 GV. Assuming antihelium to have the same spectral shape as helium, a 95% confidence upper limit to the possible abundance of antihelium relative to helium of 6.9×10 -8 was determined combining all BESS data, including the two BESS-Polar flights. With no assumed antihelium spectrum and a weighted average of the lowest antihelium efficiencies for each flight, an upper limit of 1.0×10 -7 from 1.6 to 14 GV was determined for the combined BESS-Polar data. Under both antihelium spectral assumptions, these are the lowest limits obtained to date.

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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.131301

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.131301

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VL - 108

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

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ER -

Search for antihelium with the BESS-polar spectrometer

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