Dark Matter Particle Explorer observations of high-energy cosmic ray electrons plus positrons and their physical implications

Abstract

The DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) is a satellite-borne, high-energy particle and $\gamma$-ray detector, which is dedicated to indirectly detecting particle dark matter and studying high-energy astrophysics. The first results about precise measurement of the cosmic ray electron plus positron spectrum between 25 GeV and 4.6 TeV were published recently. The DAMPE spectrum reveals an interesting spectral softening around $0.9$ TeV and a tentative peak around $1.4$ TeV. These results have inspired extensive discussion. The detector of DAMPE, the data analysis, and the first results are introduced. In particular, the physical interpretations of the DAMPE data are reviewed.