Antihelium-3 Sensitivity for the GRAMS Experiment

J. Zeng; T. Aramaki; K. Aoyama; S. Arai; J. Asaadi; A. Bamba; N. Cannady; P. Coppi; G. De Nolfo; M. Errando; L. Fabris; T. Fujiwara; Y. Fukazawa; P. Ghosh; K. Hagino; T. Hakamata; N. Hiroshima; M. Ichihashi; Y. Ichinohe; Y. Inoue; K. Ishikawa; K. Ishiwata; T. Iwata; G. Karagiorgi; T. Kato; H. Kawamura; D. Khangulyan; J. Krizmanic; J. LeyVa; A. Malige; J. G. Mitchell; J. W. Mitchell; R. Mukherjee; R. Nakajima; K. Nakazawa; H. Odaka; K. Okuma; K. Perez; N. Poudyal; I. Safa; K. Sakai; M. Sasaki; W. Seligman; J. Sensenig; K. Shirahama; T. Shiraishi; S. Smith; Y. Suda; A. Suraj; H. Takahashi; S. Takashima; T. Tamba; M. Tanaka; S. Tandon; R. Tatsumi; J. Tomsick; N. Tsuji; Y. Uchida; Y. Utsumi; S. Watanabe; Y. Yano; K. Yawata; H. Yoneda; K. Yorita; M. Yoshimoto

doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2025.103152

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arXiv · 2503.16694

Antihelium-3 Sensitivity for the GRAMS Experiment

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Abstract

The Gamma-Ray and AntiMatter Survey (GRAMS) is a next-generation balloon/satellite mission utilizing a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) detector to measure both MeV gamma rays and antinuclei produced by dark matter annihilation or decay. The GRAMS can identify antihelium-3 events based on the measurements of X-rays and charged pions from the decay of the exotic atoms, Time of Flight (TOF), energy deposition, and stopping range. This paper shows the antihelium-3 sensitivity estimation using a GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation. For the proposed long-duration balloon (LDB) flight program (35 days $ \times $ 3 flights) and future satellite mission (2-year observation / 10-year observation), the sensitivities become 1.47 $\times$ 10$^{-7}$ [m$^2$ s sr GeV/n]$^{-1}$ and 1.55 $\times$ 10$^{-9}$ [m$^2$ s sr GeV/n]$^{-1}$ / $3.10\times10^{-10}$ [m$^2$ s sr GeV/n]$^{-1}$, respectively. The results indicate that GRAMS can extensively investigate various dark matter models through the antihelium-3 measurements.

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J. Zeng, T. Aramaki, K. Aoyama, S. Arai, J. Asaadi, A. Bamba, N. Cannady, P. Coppi, G. De Nolfo, M. Errando, L. Fabris, T. Fujiwara, Y. Fukazawa, P. Ghosh, K. Hagino, T. Hakamata, N. Hiroshima, M. Ichihashi, Y. Ichinohe, Y. Inoue, K. Ishikawa, K. Ishiwata, T. Iwata, G. Karagiorgi, T. Kato, H. Kawamura, D. Khangulyan, J. Krizmanic, J. LeyVa, A. Malige, J. G. Mitchell, J. W. Mitchell, R. Mukherjee, R. Nakajima, K. Nakazawa, H. Odaka, K. Okuma, K. Perez, N. Poudyal, I. Safa, K. Sakai, M. Sasaki, W. Seligman, J. Sensenig, K. Shirahama, T. Shiraishi, S. Smith, Y. Suda, A. Suraj, H. Takahashi, S. Takashima, T. Tamba, M. Tanaka, S. Tandon, R. Tatsumi, J. Tomsick, N. Tsuji, Y. Uchida, Y. Utsumi, S. Watanabe, Y. Yano, K. Yawata, H. Yoneda, K. Yorita, M. Yoshimoto. 2025-03-20. Antihelium-3 Sensitivity for the GRAMS Experiment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2025.103152

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