by APOD Robot » Mon Oct 06, 2014 4:08 am
Space Station Detector Finds Unexplained Positron Excess
Explanation: Where did all these high energy positrons come from? The
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) onboard the
International Space Station (ISS) has been meticulously recording how often it is struck by both high energy electrons and
positrons since 2011. After accumulating years of data, it has now become clear that there are significantly more positrons than
expected at the highest energies detected. The
excess may have a very exciting and profound origin -- the annihilation of distant but previously undetected
dark matter particles. However, it is also possible that astronomical sources such as
pulsars are creating the
unexplained discrepancy. The topic remains a very active area of research.
Pictured here, the
AMS is visible on the ISS just after being installed, with a US
Space Shuttle docked on the far right, a Russian
Soyuz capsule docked on the far left, and the
blue Earth that houses all nations visible across the background.
[/b]
[url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap141006.html][img]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_141006.jpg[/img] [size=150]Space Station Detector Finds Unexplained Positron Excess[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] Where did all these high energy positrons come from? The [url=http://ams.nasa.gov/]Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer[/url] (AMS-02) onboard the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110309.html]International Space Station[/url] (ISS) has been meticulously recording how often it is struck by both high energy electrons and [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron]positrons[/url] since 2011. After accumulating years of data, it has now become clear that there are significantly more positrons than [url=http://www.aip.org/history/electron/jjelectr.htm]expected[/url] at the highest energies detected. The [url=http://ams.nasa.gov/Documents/AMS_Publications/PhysRevLett.113.121102.pdf]excess[/url] may have a very exciting and profound origin -- the annihilation of distant but previously undetected [url=http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_astro/dark_matter/]dark matter[/url] particles. However, it is also possible that astronomical sources such as [url=http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/pulsars.html]pulsars[/url] are creating the [url=http://funny-pics.co/wp-content/uploads/funny-cat-in-the-fence-picture.jpg]unexplained discrepancy[/url]. The topic remains a very active area of research. [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/9494533149/in/set-72157627325391959]Pictured here[/url], the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Magnetic_Spectrometer]AMS[/url] is visible on the ISS just after being installed, with a US [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110709.html]Space Shuttle[/url] docked on the far right, a Russian [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap051101.html]Soyuz capsule[/url] docked on the far left, and the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100713.html]blue Earth[/url] that houses all nations visible across the background.
[b][table][tr][td=left][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=141005]<< Previous APOD[/url][/td] [td=center][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/view_retro.php?date=1006]This Day in APOD[/url][/td] [td=right][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=141007]Next APOD >>[/url][/td][/tr][/table][/b]