Project Title

GAPS (General AntiParticle Spectrometer) Experiment: A Search for Dark Matter Using Low Energy Antiprotons and Antideuterons

Summary

Event Number:
A-132-M
NASA / NSF Agreement

Program Director:
Dr. Marion Dierickx

ASC POC/Implementer:
Marissa Goerke / Kaija Webster / Chad Naughton

Principal Investigator(s)

Charles James Hailey
chuckh@astro.columbia.edu
Columbia University
New York, New York

Location

Supporting Stations: McMurdo Station
Research Locations: McMurdo Long Duration Balloon (LDB) Facility

Description

The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is an experiment optimized to search for massive dark-matter particles. When dark-matter particles annihilate in the galaxy, they produce antimatter, which the GAPS experiment is optimized to detect in the form of low energy (LE) antideuterons. Because LE antideuterons are extremely difficult to produce by conventional astrophysical processes, detecting LE antideuterons would be a telling signature of dark matter.

GAPS can also detect LE antihelium and candidate antihelium events that have been reported by another experiment. GAPS also aims to detect LE antiprotons, which would be a conclusive signature of dark matter as they are produced by conventional astrophysical processes. An observed antiproton excess could arise from dark-matter annihilation or primordial black hole evaporation.

Field Season Overview

Since GAPS is looking for extremely rare events, the flight should be as long as possible. The target duration for the first flight is 30 days, which would be long enough to measure a detailed antiproton spectrum and achieve substantive sensitivity in the search for antideuterons and antihelium. After 10 days, GAPS can validate its antimatter detection concept and yield scientifically interesting antiproton results. Since GAPS is expected to carry out two additional flights, it is essential to recover the expensive detectors for reuse. To fully understand the rare antimatter events, it is critical to look at all data. The flight computer will select the most interesting events to telemeter to the ground using the available bandwidth, but that would be only a small fraction of the total. Therefore, data drives must be recovered as soon as possible. Traditionally, balloon flights have been terminated near McMurdo Station after one or more circumnavigations of the continent.

Deploying Team Members