Imaging dark matter with the Pamela experiment

The search for dark matter is a fundamental issue for astroparticle physics. A satellite-borne experiment (‘Pamela’) is under construction and will study cosmic rays whilst executing a polar orbit at an altitude of 690 km. The experiment comprises a transition radiation detector; a magnetic spectrometer, incorporating silicon tracking and surrounded by an anti-coincidence shield; an electromagnetic imaging calorimeter and a time-of-flight trigger system. This combination of detectors is particularly apt for the study of the antiproton component of cosmic rays from 100 MeV up to a few 100 GeV and will provide important new information for dark matter searches.