Speaker: Yi Jia (MIT)
Latest Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is a multi-purpose high-energy particle detector installed on the International Space Station on May 19, 2011 to conduct a unique long-term mission of fundamental physics research in space. To date, AMS has collected more than 200 billion charged cosmic rays with energies up to multi TeV. The latest AMS data on cosmic ray positrons show that, at high energies, they predominantly originate either from dark matter annihilations or from new astrophysical sources. Precision measurements from AMS on cosmic ray nuclei and isotopes provide invaluable information on the origin and propagation of cosmic rays. The daily time variation of electrons, positrons, protons, and helium fluxes measured by AMS provides unique inputs to the understanding of cosmic rays in the heliosphere. The perspective of a major upgrade of AMS in the coming years will also be presented. The new results on cosmic rays will continue to change our understanding of the cosmos.
