Deciphering the Electron Spectral Hardening in AMS-02
We analyze the electron cosmic-ray spectrum from AMS-02, focusing on the spectral hardening around 42 GeV. Our findings confirm that this feature is intrinsic to the primary electron component rather than a byproduct of contamination from primary positron sources. Even under conservative assumptions, its significance remains at about 7σ, strongly indicating a genuine spectral break. Accordingly, we introduce a new, more realistic parametric fit, which we recommend for the next round of AMS-02 analyses. Once the sources of systematic uncertainties are better constrained, this refined approach can either reinforce or refute our conclusions, providing a clearer understanding of the observed electron spectrum. If confirmed, we propose that this hardening most likely arises from interstellar transport or acceleration effects.
Authors
- Carmelo Evoli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6023-5253)
Institutions
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (IT)
- Gran Sasso Science Institute (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Astronomy
- Published
- 2025-02-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/astronomy4010004
- Primary Topic
- Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00