arXiv subjects

Cheng-Rui Zhu

Publications and source records attributed to Cheng-Rui Zhu.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Probing solar modulation of AMS-02 time-dependent D, $^3$He and $^4$He fluxes with modified force field approximation

The AMS-02 experiment recently published time-dependent fluxes of deuterons (D) from May 2011 to April 2021, divided into 33 periods of four Bartels rotations each. These temporal structures are associated with solar modulation. In this study, three modified force-field approximation are employed to examine the long-term behavior of cosmic-ray (CR) isotopes such as D, $^3$He, and $^4$He, as well as the ratios D/$^3$He and $^3$He/$^4$He. The solar modulation potential is rigidity-dependent for these modified force-field approximation models. Due to the unknown local interstellar spectrum (LIS) for these isotopes, we utilize the Non-LIS method for solar modulation. By fitting to the AMS-02 time-dependent fluxes, we derive the solar modulation parameters. Our findings prove the assumption in literature that all isotopes can be fitted using the same solar modulation parameters and it shown that the modified FFA models are validated parametrization for solar modulation. Based on these, we forecast the daily fluxes of D, $^3$He and $^4$He from 2011 to 2020.

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arXiv2025

Forecasting of the time-dependent fluxes of antiprotons in the AMS-02 era

The spectra of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) contain crucial information about their origin and propagation through the interstellar medium. When GCRs reach Earth, they are significantly influenced by the solar wind and the heliospheric magnetic field, a phenomenon known as solar modulation. This effect introduces time-dependent variations in GCR fluxes. The AMS-02 experiment has released time-dependent flux data for protons, electrons, and positrons, revealing clear correlations with solar modulation. Studies suggest that cosmic rays with the same charge, such as protons and helium nuclei, exhibit similar/same solar modulation parameters. In this work, we derive the LIS for protons and positrons under the assumption of a common solar modulation potential, using data from Voyager 1 and a 7-year average from AMS-02. Similarly, the LIS for antiprotons and electrons is derived by assuming they are governed by a separate solar modulation potential. We demonstrate that the time-dependent fluxes of positrons and protons can be accurately modeled using the same set of solar modulation parameters within a modified force-field approximation framework. Based on this, we predict the time-dependent fluxes of antiprotons using the corresponding electron flux data.

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arXiv2025

Solar modulation of AMS-02 daily proton and Helium fluxes with modified force field approximation models

As galactic cosmic rays propagate through the turbulent plasma environment within the heliosphere, they undergo a process of diffusion, drift and energy loss, leading to a notable reduction in their flux. This is the solar modulation impact. Recently, the cosmic-ray experiment AMS-02 published daily fluxes of proton and Helium for the period from May 20, 2011 to October 29, 2019 in the rigidity interval from about 1 to 100 GV, exhibiting fine time structures that correlate with solar wind properties on daily basis. In this work, we employ three different modified force field approximation models to fit the data. By fitting to the daily proton and Helium fluxes, we get the time series of solar modulation potential. We find good agreement of data and model predictions for both proton and Helium with the same parameters in two modified force field approximation models. The results in this study verify that the modified FFA model is a valid parametrization of the GCR spectrum also at daily time scales.

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arXiv2024

Local interstellar spectra and solar modulation of cosmic ray proton and Helium

The galactic cosmic rays (GCR) suffer from solar modulation when they propagate through the heliosphere. The transfer of the local interstellar spectrum (LIS) to the top-of-atmosphere spectra (TOA) is influenced by solar wind convection, diffusion on the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF), among other factors. In this work, we derive the LIS of proton (p) and helium (He) covering energies from a few MeV/n to TeV/n, using a non-parameterization method. The study utilizes monthly AMS-02 data on proton and helium fluxes and their ratio to examine the evolution of solar modulation from May 2011 to May 2017. To improve the fitting, the force-field approximation is modified by assigning different solar modulation potentials for high ( $\phi_h$ ) and low ($\phi_l$ ) energy ranges. A sigmoid function is employed to describe the transition between these energy ranges. The analysis reveals that the break in proton and helium fluxes occurs at the same rigidity value, with a mean of approximately 6 GV and this break is more pronounced during the heliospheric magnetic field reversal period. The $\phi_l$ is close to the result of Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) while the $\phi_h$ is close to the result of neutron monitor (NM) data. Furthermore, the long-term behavior of the p/He ratio is found to naturally arise from the model when considering different Z/A values and the LISs for proton and helium.

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arXiv2022

Explaining the GeV antiproton/$\gamma-$ray excesses and W-boson mass anomaly in an inert two Higgs doublet model

For the newly discovered $W$-boson mass anomaly, one of the simplest dark matter (DM) models that can account for the anomaly without violating other astrophysical/experimental constraints is the inert two Higgs doublet model, in which the DM mass ($m_{S}$) is found to be within $\sim 54-74$ GeV. In this model, the annihilation of DM via $SS\to b\bar{b}$ and $SS\to WW^{*}$ would produce antiprotons and gamma rays, and may account for the excesses identified previously in both particles. Motivated by this, we re-analyze the AMS-02 antiproton and Fermi-LAT Galactic center gamma-ray data. For the antiproton analysis, the novel treatment is the inclusion of the charge-sign-dependent three-dimensional solar modulation model as constrained by the time-dependent proton data. We find that the excess of antiprotons is more distinct than previous results based on the force-field solar modulation model. The interpretation of this excess as the annihilation of $SS\to WW^{*}$ ($SS\to b\bar{b}$) requires a DM mass of $\sim 40-80$ ($40-60$) GeV and a velocity-averaged cross section of $O(10^{-26})~{\rm cm^3~s^{-1}}$. As for the $\gamma$-ray data analysis, besides adopting the widely-used spatial template fitting, we employ an orthogonal approach with a data-driven spectral template analysis. The fitting to the GeV $\gamma$-ray excess yields DM model parameters overlapped with those to fit the antiproton excess via the $WW^{*}$ channel. The consistency of the DM particle properties required to account for the $W$-boson mass anomaly, the GeV antiproton excess, and the GeV $\gamma$-ray excess suggest a common origin of them.

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arXiv2020

Local interstellar spectra and solar modulation of cosmic ray electrons and positrons

Low energy cosmic rays are modulated by the solar activity when they propagation in the heliosphere, leading to ambiguities in understanding their acceleration at sources and propagation in the Milky Way. By means of the precise measurements of the $e^-$, $e^+$, $e^-+e^+$, and $e^+/(e^-+e^+)$ spectra by AMS-02 near the Earth, as well as the very low energy measurements of the $e^-+e^+$ fluxes by Voyager-1 far away from the Sun, we derive the local interstellar spectra (LIS) of $e^-$ and $e^+$ components individually. Our method is based on a non-parametric description of the LIS of $e^-$ and $e^+$ and a force-field solar modulation model. We then obtain the evolution of the solar modulation parameters based on the derived LIS and the monthly fluxes of cosmic ray $e^-$ and $e^+$ measured by AMS-02. {\bf To better fit the monthly data, additional renormalization factors for $e^-$ and $e^+$ have been multiplied to the modulated fluxes.} We find that the inferred solar modulation parameters of positrons are in good agreement with that of cosmic ray nuclei, and the time evolutions of the solar modulation parameters of electrons and positrons differ after the reversal of the heliosphere magnetic field polarity, which shows clearly the charge-sign dependent modulation effect.

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arXiv2018

Secondary cosmic-ray nucleus spectra disfavor particle transport in the Galaxy without reacceleration

The precise observations of Galactic cosmic ray fluxes of the secondary family, such as Li, Be, B, are expected to have significant implications on our understanding of the cosmic ray origin and propagation. Here we employ the recent very precise measurements of those species by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station, together with their parent species (C and O), as well as the data collected by the Voyager-1 spacecraft outside the heliosphere and the Advanced Composition Explorer, to investigate the propagation of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. We consider the diffusion of cosmic rays plus reacceleration or convection effect during the propagation, and find that the reacceleration model can fit the data significantly better than the convection model. We further find that for the reacceleration model, the spectral hardenings of both the primary and secondary particles can be well described by the injection hardening without including additional propagation hardening. This is due to that the reacceleration effect results in a steeper secondary-to-primary ratio at low energies, and can thus naturally reproduce the fact that the secondary spectra harden more than the primary spectra found by AMS-02.

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arXiv2018

Studies on cosmic ray nuclei with Voyager, ACE and AMS-02: I. local interstellar spectra and solar modulation

The acceleration of cosmic ray particles and their propagation in the Milky Way and the heliosphere tangle with each other, leading to complexity and degeneracy of the modeling of Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). The recent measurements of the GCR spectra by Voyager-1 from outside of the heliosphere gave a first direct observation of GCRs in the local interstellar (LIS) environment. Together with the high-precision data near the Earth taken by ACE and AMS-02, we derive the LIS spectra of Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, and Oxygen nuclei from a few MeV/n to TeV/n, using a non-parameterization method. These LIS spectra are helpful in further studying the injection and propagation parameters of GCRs. The nearly 20 years of data recorded by ACE are used to determine the solar modulation parameters over the solar cycles 23 and 24, based on the force-field approximation. We find general agreements of the modulation potential with the results inferred from neutron monitors and other cosmic ray data.

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