Measurements of the Cosmic-Ray Electron Spectrum

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

Direct measurements of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons were first made in the early 1960s and since then a number of - mostly balloon borne - instruments were built to study this component of the cosmic radiation. The precise measurement of the intensities of CR electrons and positrons are key to our understanding of cosmic-ray origin and propagation. In addition the locally observed abundance of cosmic ray electrons and/or positrons may exhibit interesting spectral features. Recent reports by the PAMELA team of the observed rise in the cosmic-ray positron fraction above a few GeV and of an excess of cosmic-ray electrons around a few hundred GeV by the ATIC collaboration have resulted in a flurry of publications discussing these observations either as a possible dark matter signature or as a contribution from isolated astrophysical sources. While those interpretations are scientifically exciting, the possibility that measurements are contaminated by misidentified cosmic-ray protons cannot be ignored. This presentation will give a critical assessment of current measurements and discusses upcoming observations by the CREST instrument that will extend the cosmic-ray electron observations into the 10 TeV region.

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