28 August 2023 to 1 September 2023
University of Vienna
Europe/Vienna timezone

Scrutinizing current uncertainties on cosmic-ray positron predictions

28 Aug 2023, 14:45
15m
Franz-König lecture hall (University of Vienna)

Franz-König lecture hall

University of Vienna

Universitätsring 1 A-1010 Vienna, Austria
Parallel talk High-energy astrophysics and cosmic rays High-energy astrophysics and cosmic rays

Speaker

Pedro De la Torre Luque (Oskar Klein Centre, Stockholm University)

Description

Cosmic-ray (CR) antiparticles have the potential to reveal signatures of unexpected astrophysical processes and new physics. Recent CR experiments have provided accurate measurements of the positron flux, revealing the so-called positron excess at high energies. However, the uncertainties related to the modelling of the positron flux are still too high, significantly affecting our models of positron emission from pulsars and current dark matter searches.
In this talk, I’ll show state-of-the-art predictions of CR positrons at Earth, focusing on the treatment of the secondary production of these particles. We show new cross sections derived from the FLUKA code and discuss the uncertainties related to cross sections, as well as to the other main sources of uncertainties affecting our predictions of CR positrons. Finally, we comment on the impact of these uncertainties in the evaluation of the positron emission from nearby pulsars and current WIMP searches with positrons.

Submitted on behalf of a Collaboration? No

Author

Pedro De la Torre Luque (Oskar Klein Centre, Stockholm University)

Presentation materials