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A precision measurement of the nitrogen flux with rigidity (momentum per unit charge) from 2.2 GV to 3.3 TV based on $2.2\times {10}^6$ events is presented. The detailed rigidity dependence of the nitrogen flux spectral index is presented for the first time. The spectral index rapidly hardens at high rigidities and becomes identical to the spectral indices of primary He, C, and O cosmic rays above $\sim 700\mathrm{GV}$. We observed that the nitrogen flux ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{N}}$ can be presented as the sum of its primary component ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{N}}^P$ and secondary component ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{N}}^S$, ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{N}}={\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{N}}^P+{\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{N}}^S$, and we found ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{N}}$ is well described by the weighted sum of the oxygen flux ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{O}}$ (primary cosmic rays) and the boron flux ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{B}}$ (secondary cosmic rays), with ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{N}}^P=(0.090\pm 0.002)\times {\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{O}}$ and ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{N}}^S=(0.62\pm 0.02)\times {\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{B}}$ over the entire rigidity range. This corresponds to a change of the contribution of the secondary cosmic ray component in the nitrogen flux from 70% at a few GV to $<30\%$ above 1 TV.

A precision measurement by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays in the energy range from 0.5 to 350 GeV based on $6.8\times {10}^6$ positron and electron events is presented. The very accurate data show that the positron fraction is steadily increasing from 10 to $\sim 250\mathrm{GeV}$, but, from 20 to 250 GeV, the slope decreases by an order of magnitude. The positron fraction spectrum shows no fine structure, and the positron to electron ratio shows no observable anisotropy. Together, these features show the existence of new physical phenomena.

We present the precision measurement of the daily proton fluxes in cosmic rays from May 20, 2011 to October 29, 2019 (a total of 2824 days or 114 Bartels rotations) in the rigidity interval from 1 to 100 GV based on $5.5\times {10}^9$ protons collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer aboard the International Space Station. The proton fluxes exhibit variations on multiple timescales. From 2014 to 2018, we observed recurrent flux variations with a period of 27 days. Shorter periods of 9 days and 13.5 days are observed in 2016. The strength of all three periodicities changes with time and rigidity. The rigidity dependence of the 27-day periodicity is different from the rigidity dependences of 9-day and 13.5-day periods. Unexpectedly, the strength of 9-day and 13.5-day periodicities increases with increasing rigidities up to $\sim 10\mathrm{GV}$ and $\sim 20\mathrm{GV}$, respectively. Then the strength of the periodicities decreases with increasing rigidity up to 100 GV.

We present high-statistics, precision measurements of the detailed time and energy dependence of the primary cosmic-ray electron flux and positron flux over 79 Bartels rotations from May 2011 to May 2017 in the energy range from 1 to 50 GeV. For the first time, the charge-sign dependent modulation during solar maximum has been investigated in detail by leptons alone. Based on $23.5\times {10}^6$ events, we report the observation of short-term structures on the timescale of months coincident in both the electron flux and the positron flux. These structures are not visible in the $e^{+}/e^{-}$ flux ratio. The precision measurements across the solar polarity reversal show that the ratio exhibits a smooth transition over $830\pm 30$ days from one value to another. The midpoint of the transition shows an energy dependent delay relative to the reversal and changes by $260\pm 30$ days from 1 to 6 GeV.

The interactions of 400 GeV protons with different sequences of bent silicon crystals have been investigated at the H8 beam line of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron. The multiple volume reflection of the proton beam has been studied in detail on a five-crystal reflector measuring an angular beam deflection $\theta =52.96\pm 0.14\mu \mathrm{rad}$. The efficiency was found larger than 80% for an angular acceptance at the reflector entrance of $70\mu \mathrm{rad}$, with a maximal efficiency value of $\epsilon =0.90\pm 0.01\pm 0.03$.

Precision measurements by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station of the primary cosmic-ray electron flux in the range 0.5 to 700 GeV and the positron flux in the range 0.5 to 500 GeV are presented. The electron flux and the positron flux each require a description beyond a single power-law spectrum. Both the electron flux and the positron flux change their behavior at $\sim 30\mathrm{GeV}$ but the fluxes are significantly different in their magnitude and energy dependence. Between 20 and 200 GeV the positron spectral index is significantly harder than the electron spectral index. The determination of the differing behavior of the spectral indices versus energy is a new observation and provides important information on the origins of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons.

A precision measurement by AMS of the antiproton flux and the antiproton-to-proton flux ratio in primary cosmic rays in the absolute rigidity range from 1 to 450 GV is presented based on $3.49\times 10^5$ antiproton events and $2.42\times 10^9$ proton events. The fluxes and flux ratios of charged elementary particles in cosmic rays are also presented. In the absolute rigidity range $\sim 60$ to $\sim 500\mathrm{GV}$, the antiproton $\overline{p}$, proton $p$, and positron $e^{+}$ fluxes are found to have nearly identical rigidity dependence and the electron $e^{-}$ flux exhibits a different rigidity dependence. Below 60 GV, the ($\overline{p}/p$), ($\overline{p}/e^{+}$), and ($p/e^{+}$) flux ratios each reaches a maximum. From $\sim 60$ to $\sim 500\mathrm{GV}$, the ($\overline{p}/p$), ($\overline{p}/e^{+}$), and ($p/e^{+}$) flux ratios show no rigidity dependence. These are new observations of the properties of elementary particles in the cosmos.

Deep learning algorithms have gained importance in particle physics in the last few years. They have been shown to outperform traditional strategies in particle identification, tracking and energy reconstruction in the most modern high-energy physics experiments. The attractive feature of these techniques is their ability to model large dimensionality inputs and catch nontrivial correlations among the variables, which could be hidden or not easy to model. This paper focuses on the application of deep neural networks to the event reconstruction of the Limadou High-Energy Particle Detector on board the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite. The core of the reconstruction chain is a set of fully connected neural networks that reconstructs the nature, the arrival direction and the kinetic energy of incoming electrons and protons, starting from the signals recorded in the detector. These networks are trained on a dedicated Monte Carlo simulation as representative as possible of real data. We describe the simulation, architecture and methodology adopted to design and train the networks, and finally report on the performance measured on simulated and flight data.

The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is a region where the Earth’s magnetic field is lower by a factor of 2–3 with respect to the mean field value, resulting in a remarkably higher density of trapped charged particles. Updated surveys of this unique region are of capital importance to track the evolution of the geomagnetic field and improve models of the Earth’s ionosphere. The High-Energy Particle Detector (HEPD-01) on board the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES-01), operational between the 24th and 25th Solar cycles, is one of the few instruments able to probe the radiation environment of the SAA at high energies. Sensitive to $>1\mathrm{MeV}$ electrons and $>10\mathrm{MeV}$ protons, HEPD-01 counters can reliably measure rates as large as several $\mathrm{kHz}/{\mathrm{cm}}^2$, overcoming SAA saturation issues that often affect spaceborne detectors. By mapping the total particle flux observed within the SAA, we report here on the geographical shift of its center during the 2018–2022 period and deliver HEPD-01’s estimate of the associated integral particle flux, which validates NASA’s AP9-AE9 model. The present assessment of the SAA drift, besides featuring a notable accuracy, is unique in its time coverage, altitude, and energy range. In addition, our flux estimate covers the proton energy range above $\sim 200\mathrm{MeV}$ where the AP9 model relies on extrapolated data. The present results enrich the available observations of the radiation environment within the SAA, which are crucial for the investigation of the temporal evolution of the geomagnetic field, for models of geomagnetically trapped particles, and for the investigation of perturbations generated by space weather events. Knowledge of the SAA radiation environment is also relevant for spacecraft system design and to safeguard human crew health.

Precision measurements by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) on the International Space Station of ${}^3\mathrm{He}$ and ${}^4\mathrm{He}$ fluxes are presented. The measurements are based on 100 million ${}^4\mathrm{He}$ nuclei in the rigidity range from 2.1 to 21 GV and 18 million ${}^3\mathrm{He}$ from 1.9 to 15 GV collected from May 2011 to November 2017. We observed that the ${}^3\mathrm{He}$ and ${}^4\mathrm{He}$ fluxes exhibit nearly identical variations with time. The relative magnitude of the variations decreases with increasing rigidity. The rigidity dependence of the ${}^3\mathrm{He}/{}^4\mathrm{He}$ flux ratio is measured for the first time. Below 4 GV, the ${}^3\mathrm{He}/{}^4\mathrm{He}$ flux ratio was found to have a significant long-term time dependence. Above 4 GV, the ${}^3\mathrm{He}/{}^4\mathrm{He}$ flux ratio was found to be time independent, and its rigidity dependence is well described by a single power law $\propto R^{\mathrm{\Delta }}$ with $\mathrm{\Delta }=-0.294\pm 0.004$. Unexpectedly, this value is in agreement with the B/O and B/C spectral indices at high energies.

Knowledge of the precise rigidity dependence of the helium flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. A precise measurement of the helium flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1.9 GV to 3 TV based on 50 million events is presented and compared to the proton flux. The detailed variation with rigidity of the helium flux spectral index is presented for the first time. The spectral index progressively hardens at rigidities larger than 100 GV. The rigidity dependence of the helium flux spectral index is similar to that of the proton spectral index though the magnitudes are different. Remarkably, the spectral index of the proton to helium flux ratio increases with rigidity up to 45 GV and then becomes constant; the flux ratio above 45 GV is well described by a single power law.

A precision measurement by AMS of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays in the energy range from 0.5 to 500 GeV based on 10.9 million positron and electron events is presented. This measurement extends the energy range of our previous observation and increases its precision. The new results show, for the first time, that above $\sim 200\mathrm{GeV}$ the positron fraction no longer exhibits an increase with energy.

We report the observation of new properties of primary cosmic rays He, C, and O measured in the rigidity (momentum/charge) range 2 GV to 3 TV with $90\times {10}^6$ helium, $8.4\times {10}^6$ carbon, and $7.0\times {10}^6$ oxygen nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) during the first five years of operation. Above 60 GV, these three spectra have identical rigidity dependence. They all deviate from a single power law above 200 GV and harden in an identical way.

We report the observation of new properties of primary cosmic rays, neon (Ne), magnesium (Mg), and silicon (Si), measured in the rigidity range 2.15 GV to 3.0 TV with $1.8\times {10}^6\mathrm{Ne}$, $2.2\times {10}^6\mathrm{Mg}$, and $1.6\times {10}^6\mathrm{Si}$ nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment on the International Space Station. The Ne and Mg spectra have identical rigidity dependence above 3.65 GV. The three spectra have identical rigidity dependence above 86.5 GV, deviate from a single power law above 200 GV, and harden in an identical way. Unexpectedly, above 86.5 GV the rigidity dependence of primary cosmic rays Ne, Mg, and Si spectra is different from the rigidity dependence of primary cosmic rays He, C, and O. This shows that the Ne, Mg, and Si and He, C, and O are two different classes of primary cosmic rays.

We present the precision measurement of 2824 daily helium fluxes in cosmic rays from May 20, 2011 to October 29, 2019 in the rigidity interval from 1.71 to 100 GV based on $7.6\times {10}^8$ helium nuclei collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the International Space Station. The helium flux and the helium to proton flux ratio exhibit variations on multiple timescales. In nearly all the time intervals from 2014 to 2018, we observed recurrent helium flux variations with a period of 27 days. Shorter periods of 9 days and 13.5 days are observed in 2016. The strength of all three periodicities changes with time and rigidity. In the entire time period, we found that below $\sim 7\mathrm{GV}$ the helium flux exhibits larger time variations than the proton flux, and above $\sim 7\mathrm{GV}$ the helium to proton flux ratio is time independent. Remarkably, below 2.4 GV a hysteresis between the helium to proton flux ratio and the helium flux was observed at greater than the $7\sigma$ level. This shows that at low rigidity the modulation of the helium to proton flux ratio is different before and after the solar maximum in 2014.

We report the properties of primary cosmic-ray sulfur (S) in the rigidity range 2.15 GV to 3.0 TV based on $0.38\times {10}^6$ sulfur nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment (AMS). We observed that above 90 GV the rigidity dependence of the S flux is identical to the rigidity dependence of Ne-Mg-Si fluxes, which is different from the rigidity dependence of the He-C-O-Fe fluxes. We found that, similar to N, Na, and Al cosmic rays, over the entire rigidity range, the traditional primary cosmic rays S, Ne, Mg, and C all have sizeable secondary components, and the S, Ne, and Mg fluxes are well described by the weighted sum of the primary silicon flux and the secondary fluorine flux, and the C flux is well described by the weighted sum of the primary oxygen flux and the secondary boron flux. The primary and secondary contributions of the traditional primary cosmic-ray fluxes of C, Ne, Mg, and S (even $Z$ elements) are distinctly different from the primary and secondary contributions of the N, Na, and Al (odd $Z$ elements) fluxes. The abundance ratio at the source for $\mathrm{S}/\mathrm{Si}$ is $0.167\pm 0.006$, for $\mathrm{Ne}/\mathrm{Si}$ is $0.833\pm 0.025$, for $\mathrm{Mg}/\mathrm{Si}$ is $0.994\pm 0.029$, and for $\mathrm{C}/\mathrm{O}$ is $0.836\pm 0.025$. These values are determined independent of cosmic-ray propagation.

Precision measurements of cosmic ray positrons are presented up to 1 TeV based on 1.9 million positrons collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station. The positron flux exhibits complex energy dependence. Its distinctive properties are (a) a significant excess starting from $25.2\pm 1.8\mathrm{GeV}$ compared to the lower-energy, power-law trend, (b) a sharp dropoff above $284_{-64}^{+91}\mathrm{GeV}$, (c) in the entire energy range the positron flux is well described by the sum of a term associated with the positrons produced in the collision of cosmic rays, which dominates at low energies, and a new source term of positrons, which dominates at high energies, and (d) a finite energy cutoff of the source term of $E_s=810_{-180}^{+310}\mathrm{GeV}$ is established with a significance of more than $4\sigma$. These experimental data on cosmic ray positrons show that, at high energies, they predominantly originate either from dark matter annihilation or from other astrophysical sources.

We present the precision measurements of 11 years of daily cosmic positron fluxes in the rigidity range from 1.00 to 41.9 GV based on $3.4\times {10}^6$ positrons collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the International Space Station. The positron fluxes show distinctly different time variations from the electron fluxes at short and long timescales. A hysteresis between the electron fluxes and the positron fluxes is observed with a significance greater than $5\sigma$ at rigidities below 8.5 GV. On the contrary, the positron fluxes and the proton fluxes show similar time variation. Remarkably, we found that positron fluxes are modulated more than proton fluxes with a significance greater than $5\sigma$ for rigidities below 7 GV. These continuous daily positron fluxes, together with AMS daily electron, proton, and helium fluxes over an 11-year solar cycle, provide unique input to the understanding of both the charge-sign and mass dependencies of cosmic rays in the heliosphere.

A precise measurement of the proton flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1 GV to 1.8 TV is presented based on 300 million events. Knowledge of the rigidity dependence of the proton flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. We present the detailed variation with rigidity of the flux spectral index for the first time. The spectral index progressively hardens at high rigidities.