Electrons and Positrons in Cosmic Rays

Abstract

This review concentrates on the results obtained, over the last ten years, on the astrophysics of high-energy cosmic ray electrons and positrons. The anomalies, observed in the data of recent experiments (possible bump in the electron spectrum and the PAMELA anomaly in the positron fraction) are discussed through the systematic use of simple analytical solutions of the transport equations for cosmic ray electrons. Three main ways of explaining the origin of the anomalies are considered: the conservative way supposing the positrons to be pure secondary particles; the nearby sources like pulsars origin; and the dark matter origin. This review discusses, also, the inability to select the pulsars model or the dark matter model to explain the electron anomalies on the basis of the electron spectra with the usual large energy binning ($\gtrsim 15$). It is argued that the signature of nearby pulsars origin of the anomalies against the dark matter origin could be the fine structure of the cosmic ray electron spectrum predicted in the Malyshev et al. paper (2009) and which was observed in the data from the high-resolution ATIC experiment (2009-2011). To date, the high-resolution ATIC data was the only experimental result of this type published in the literature. Therefore, they should be tested by other experiments as soon as possible. Generally, there is, also, rather controversial situations between the data of the majority of recent experiments and, consequently, there is a noted urgent need for new high-precision and high-statistical experiments.

LaTeX2e, 27 pages, 28 figures, invited paper for 23rd European Cosmic Ray Symposium (2012)

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Cited by in corpus (9)

• Cosmic ray signatures of a 2-3 Myr old local supernova
• Kinetic Theory of Positron-Impact Ionization in Gases
• Bayesian analysis of the break in DAMPE lepton spectra
• Plus Charge Prevalence in Cosmic Rays: Room for Dark Matter in the Positron Spectrum
• Hints of a Charge Asymmetry in the Electron and Positron Cosmic-Ray Excesses
• Probing the astrophysical origin of high-energy cosmic-ray electrons with Monte Carlo simulation
• The role of the Galactic Halo and the Single Source in the formation of the cosmic ray anisotropy
• Precision measurement of the cosmic-ray electron and positron fluxes as a function of time and energy with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station
• Structures in the cosmic ray energy spectra