The local interstellar spectra (LISs) for galactic cosmic rays (CRs) cannot be directly observed at the Earth below certain energies, because of solar modulation in the heliosphere. With Voyager 1 ...crossing the heliopause in 2012, in situ experimental LIS data below 100 MeV/nuc can now constrain computed galactic CR spectra. Using galactic propagation models, galactic electron, proton, and light nuclei spectra can now be computed more reliably as LISs. Using the Voyager 1 observations made beyond the heliopause, and the observations made by the PAMELA experiment in Earth orbit for the 2009 solar minimum, as experimental constraints, we simultaneously reproduced the CR electron, proton, helium, and carbon observations by implementing the GALPROP code. Below about 30 GeV/nuc solar modulation has a significant effect and a comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) numerical modulation model is used to compare the computed spectra with the observed PAMELA spectra at these energies. Subsequently the computed LISs can be compared over as wide a range of energies as possible. The simultaneous calculation of CR spectra with a single propagation model allows the LISs for positrons, boron, and oxygen to also be inferred. This implementation of the comprehensive galactic propagation model (GALPROP), alongside a sophisticated solar modulation model to compute CR spectra for comparison with both Voyager 1 and PAMELA observations over a wide energy range, allows us to present new self-consistent LISs (and expressions) for electrons, positrons, protons, helium, carbon, boron, and oxygen for the energy range of 3 MeV/nuc-100 GeV/nuc.
With the cosmic ray observations made by the Voyager 1 spacecraft outside the dominant modulating influence of the heliosphere, the comparison of computed galactic spectra with experimental data at ...lower energies is finally possible. Spectra for specifically protons, helium and carbon nuclei, computed by galactic propagation models, can now be compared with observations at low energies from Voyager 1 and at high energies from the PAMELA space detector at Earth. We set out to reproduce the Voyager 1 observations in the energy range of 6 MeV/nuc to 60 MeV/nuc, and the PAMELA spectrum above 50 GeV/nuc, using the GALPROP code, similarly to our previous study for Voyager 1 electrons. By varying the galactic diffusion parameters in the GALPROP plain diffusion model, specifically the rigidity dependence of spatial diffusion, and then including reacceleration, we compute spectra simultaneously for galactic protons, helium and carbon. We present new local interstellar spectra, with expressions for the energy range of 3 MeV/nuc to 100 GeV/nuc, which should be of value for solar modulation modeling.
Heliospheric modulation conditions were unusually quiet during the last solar minimum activity between solar cycles 23 and 24. Fortunately, the PAMELA space experiment measured 6 month-averaged ...Galactic positron spectra for the period 2006 July to 2009 December over an energy range of 80 MeV to 30 GeV, which is important for solar modulation. The highest level of Galactic positrons was observed at Earth during the 2009 July-December period. A well-established, comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) numerical model is applied to study the modulation of the observed positron spectra. This model had been used previously to understand the modulation of Galactic protons and electrons also measured by PAMELA for the same period. First, a new, very local interstellar spectrum for positrons is constructed using the well-known GALPROP code, together with the mentioned PAMELA observations. The 3D model is used to distinguish between the dominant mechanisms responsible for the heliospheric modulation of Galactic positrons and understand the effect of particle drift during this unusual minimum in particular, which is considered diffusion-dominant, even though particle drift still had a significant role in modulating positrons. Lastly, the expected intensity of Galactic positrons during an A > 0 polarity minimum, with similar heliospheric conditions than for 2006-2009, is predicted to be higher than what was observed by PAMELA for the 2006-2009 unusual minimum.
Context. The PAMELA experiment observed galactic proton and electron spectra down to 70 MV and 400 MV, respectively, from mid-2006 to the end of 2009 during what is called an A < 0 solar magnetic ...polarity cycle. During this period, solar activity was at its lowest level since the beginning of the space exploration era. This provides the opportunity to study charge-sign-dependent modulation under very quiet heliospheric conditions. Aims. Drift theory for the solar modulation of cosmic rays predicts that the intensity of protons at the Earth is expected to show a different rate of recovery towards solar minimum when compared to electrons during A < 0 cycles. These charge-sign related differences are investigated. Methods. The solutions of a comprehensive three-dimensional drift model are compared to PAMELA spectra to authenticate the modelling approach and then to make predictions of how electrons and protons are differently modulated down to 1 MeV, based on new very local interstellar spectra. Results. The comparison of observations and modelling provides insight into how the rigidity dependence of the three major diffusion coefficients changes during such quiet modulation conditions. How drift effects dissipate above several GeV and below 100 MeV is illustrated for both protons and electrons. The modulation that occurred at the Earth during this quiet period is shown as a function of rigidity and time. The e−/p ratio is computed from 10 MV to 50 GV for this period and a prediction is made for what may be observed in terms of spectra during the next A > 0 solar minimum. Conclusions. The presence of drifts during this quiet period is established based on the presented modelling and PAMELA measurements. Drift effects for protons and electrons are quantified in terms of their rigidity and temporal development from 2006 to 2009.
Abstract
The precision measurements of galactic cosmic-ray protons from the Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer are reproduced ...using a well-established three-dimensional numerical model for the period 2006 July–2019 November. The resulting modulation parameters are applied to simulate the modulation for cosmic antiprotons over the same period, which includes the times of minimum modulation before and after 2009, the maximum modulation from 2012 to 2015, including the reversal of the Sun’s magnetic field polarity, and the approach to new minimum modulation in 2020. Apart from their local interstellar spectra, the modulation of protons and antiprotons differ in their charge sign and consequent drift pattern. The lowest proton flux was in 2014 February–March, but the lowest simulated antiproton flux is found to have been in 2015 March–April. These simulated fluxes are used to predict the proton-to-antiproton ratios as a function of rigidity. The trends in these ratios contribute to clarifying, to a large extent, the phenomenon of charge-sign dependence of heliospheric modulation during vastly different phases of the solar activity cycle. This is reiterated and emphasized by displaying so-called hysteresis loops. It is also illustrated how the values of the parallel and perpendicular mean free paths, as well as the drift scale, vary with rigidity over this extensive period. The drift scale is found to be at its lowest level during the polarity reversal period, while the lowest level of the mean free paths is found to be in 2015 March–April.
The global modulation of galactic cosmic rays in the inner heliosphere is determined by four major mechanisms: convection, diffusion, particle drifts (gradient, curvature and current sheet drifts), ...and adiabatic energy losses. When these processes combine to produce modulation, the complexity increases significantly especially when one wants to describe how they evolve spatially in all three dimensions throughout the heliosphere, and with time, as a function of solar activity over at least 22 years. In this context also the global structure and features of the solar wind, the heliospheric magnetic field, the wavy current sheet, and of the heliosphere and its interface with the interstellar medium, play important roles. Space missions have contributed significantly to our knowledge during the past decade. In the inner heliosphere, Ulysses and several other missions have contributed to establish the relative importance of these major mechanisms, leading to renewed interest in developing more sophisticated theories and numerical models to explain these observations, and to understand the underlying physics that determines galactic cosmic ray modulation at Earth. An overview is given of some of the observational and modeling highlights over the past decade.
The last solar minimum activity period, and the consequent minimum modulation conditions for cosmic rays, was unusual. The highest levels of galactic protons were recorded at Earth in late 2009 in ...contrast to expectations. Proton spectra observed for 2006 to 2009 from the PAMELA cosmic ray detector on-board the
Resurs-DK1
satellite are presented together with the solutions of a comprehensive numerical model for the solar modulation of cosmic rays. The model is used to determine what mechanisms were mainly responsible for the modulation of protons during this period, and why the observed spectrum for 2009 was the highest ever recorded. From mid-2006 until December 2009 we find that the spectra became significantly softer because increasingly more low energy protons had reached Earth. To simulate this effect, the rigidity dependence of the diffusion coefficients had to decrease significantly below ∼ 3 GeV. The modulation minimum period of 2009 can thus be described as relatively more ‘diffusion dominated’ than previous solar minima. However, we illustrate that drifts still had played a significant role but that the observable modulation effects were not as well correlated with the waviness of the heliospheric current sheet as before. Protons still experienced global gradient and curvature drifts as the heliospheric magnetic field had decreased significantly until the end of 2009, in contrast to the moderate decreases observed during previous minimum periods. We conclude that all modulation processes contributed to the observed increases in the proton spectra for this period, exhibiting an intriguing interplay of these major mechanisms.
We present a review of Anomalous Cosmic Rays (ACRs), including the history of their discovery and recent insights into their acceleration and transport in the heliosphere. We focus on a few selected ...topics including a discussion of mechanisms of their acceleration, escape from the heliosphere, their effects on the dynamics of the heliosheath, transport in the inner heliosphere, and their solar cycle dependence. A discussion concerning their name is also presented towards the end of the review. We note that much is known about ACRs and perhaps the term
Anomalous Cosmic Ray
is not particularly descriptive to a non specialist. We suggest that the more-general term: “Heliospheric Energetic Particles”, which is more descriptive, for which ACRs and other energetic particle species of heliospheric origin are subsets, might be more appropriate.
Abstract
A well-established, comprehensive 3D numerical modulation model is applied to simulate galactic protons, electrons, and positrons from 2011 May to 2015 May, including the solar magnetic ...polarity reversal of Solar Cycle 24. The objective is to evaluate how simulations compare with corresponding Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer observations for 1.0–3.0 GV and what underlying physics follows from this comparison to improve our understanding of how the major physical modulation processes change, especially particle drift, from a negative to a positive magnetic polarity cycle. Apart from their local interstellar spectra, electrons and positrons differ only in their drift patterns, but they differ with protons in other ways such as adiabatic energy changes at lower rigidity. In order to complete the simulations for oppositely charged particles, antiproton modeling results are also obtained. Together, observations and corresponding modeling indicate the difference in the drift pattern before and after the recent polarity reversal and clarify to a large extent the phenomenon of charge-sign dependence during this period. The effect of global particle drift became negligible during this period of no well-defined magnetic polarity. The resulting low values of particles’ mean free paths (MFPs) during the polarity reversal contrast their large values during solar minimum activity and as such expose the relative contributions and effects of the different modulation processes from solar minimum to maximum activity. We find that the drift scale starts recovering just after the polarity reversal, but the MFPs keep decreasing or remain unchanged for some time after the polarity reversal.
HIV and haematopoiesis Rossouw, T.; Khoosal, R.; Potgieter, J.C. ...
South African medical journal,
08/2019, Letnik:
109, Številka:
8 Supplement 1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection not only leads to a compromised immune system, but also disrupts normal haematopoiesis, resulting in the frequent manifestation of cytopenias (anaemia, ...thrombocytopenia and neutropenia). Although there is a definite association between the severity of cytopenia and HIV disease stage, this relationship is not always linear. For example, cytopenias such as thrombocytopenia may occur during early stages of infection. The aetiology of these haematological abnormalities is complex and multifactorial, including drug-induced impaired haematopoiesis, bone marrow suppression due to infiltration of infectious agents or malignant cells, HIV-induced impaired haematopoiesis, and several other factors. In this review, we describe the frequencies of anaemia, thrombocytopenia and neutropenia reported for HIV-infected, treatment-naïve cohorts studied in eastern and southern sub-Saharan African countries. We present a rational approach for the use of diagnostic tests during the workup of HIV-infected patients presenting with cytopenia, and discuss how HIV impacts on haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) resulting in impaired haematopoiesis. Finally, we describe the direct and indirect effects of HIV on HSPCs which result in defective haematopoiesis leading to cytopenias.