Measurements of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons by the wizard / caprice collaboration

Two recent balloon-borne experiments have been performed by the WiZard/CAPRICE collaboration in order to study the electron and positron components in the cosmic radiation. On 1994 August 8-9 the CAPRICE94 experiment flew from norther Canada and on 1998 May 28-29 the CAPRICE98 experiment flew from New Mexico, USA at altitudes corresponding to 3.9 and 5.5 g/cm2 of average residual atmosphere respectively. The apparatus were equipped with a Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detector, a time-of-flight system, a superconducting magnet spectrometer with a tracking system and a 7-radiation-length silicon-tungsten imaging calorimeter. The RICH used in 1994 had a solid NaF radiator while in 1998 the RICH had a C4F10 gaseous radiator. We report on the electron and positron spectra and positron fraction at the top of the atmosphere from few hundred MeV to 40 GeV measured by these two experiments. © 2001 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.