Precision measurements of cosmic-ray positron flux by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station are presented based on 1.9 million positrons up to 1 TeV.
The positron flux exhibits distinct and complex energy dependence.
The positron flux exhibits a significant excess starting from 25.2±1.8\,GeV followed by a sharp drop-off above 284+91−64\,GeV. In the entire energy range, the positron flux is well described by the sum of a diffuse term associated with low energy secondary positrons produced in the collision of cosmic rays, and a new source term of high energy positrons with a finite energy cutoff. This cutoff energy of the source term is determined to be 810+310−180\,GeV with a significance of more than 4σ.
These experimental data show that, at high energies, positrons predominantly originate either from dark matter collisions or from new astrophysical sources.
