DAMPEが宇宙線加速の電荷依存限界を観測(DAMPE Observes Charge-dependent Limit of Cosmic Ray Acceleration)

2026-04-30 中国科学院(CAS)

宇宙線観測衛星DAMPE(悟空)国際共同研究は、陽子・ヘリウム・炭素・酸素・鉄の5種の宇宙線原子核において、電荷依存的なスペクトル軟化を初めて直接観測した。この結果は1960年代に提唱された「電荷依存加速モデル(ピーターズサイクル)」を実証し、宇宙線起源の謎解明に重要な手がかりを与える。約9年間で185億件の観測データを解析し、約15テラボルトの剛性で普遍的な軟化が生じることを確認、質量依存性は否定された。さらに近傍に宇宙線加速源が存在する可能性も示唆された。これらの成果は宇宙線の生成・加速・伝播の理解を大きく前進させる。

<関連情報>

ニー以下の一次宇宙線の電荷依存スペクトル軟化 Charge-dependent spectral softenings of primary cosmic rays below the knee

The DAMPE Collaboration
Nature  Published:29 April 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10472-0

DAMPEが宇宙線加速の電荷依存限界を観測(DAMPE Observes Charge-dependent Limit of Cosmic Ray Acceleration)

Abstract

In most particle acceleration or propagation theories, the characteristic features of the cosmic ray spectra due to acceleration limits or propagation phase changes are charge-dependent1,2,3,4. Alternatively, the interaction scenario would expect mass-dependent spectral features in general. The observational verification of which relation takes effect in nature is still lacking because of the difficulty in measuring the spectra of individual particles up to very high energies. Here we report direct measurements of the carbon, oxygen and iron spectra from about 20 gigavolts to around 100 teravolts (60 teravolts for iron) with 9 years of on-orbit data collected by the Dark Matter Particle Explorer. Distinct spectral softenings have been directly detected in these spectra for the first time, to our knowledge. Combined with the updated proton and helium spectra, the spectral softening appears universally at a rigidity of about 15 teravolts. A nuclei-mass-dependent softening is rejected at a confidence level of >99.999%. Possible interpretations of these results, including a nearby cosmic ray source5,6,7 and other models such as the propagation effect8, are discussed.

1701物理及び化学
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