Measurement of the high-energy gamma-ray emission from the Moon with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

Journal
Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Ackermann, M.
•
Ajello, M.
•
Albert, A.
•
Atwood, W. B.
•
Baldini, L.
•
Barbiellini, G.
•
Bastieri, D.
•
Bellazzini, R.
•
Bissaldi, E.
•
Blandford, R. D.
•
Bonino, R.
•
Lubrano, P.
•
Magill, J.
•
Maldera, S.
•
Manfreda, A.
•
Mayer, M.
•
Mazziotta, M. N.
•
Michelson, P. F.
•
Mitthumsiri, W.
•
Mizuno, T.
•
Monzani, M. E.
•
Paneque, D.
•
Morselli, A.
•
Murgia, S.
•
Nuss, E.
•
Omodei, N.
•
Orlando, E.
•
Ormes, J. F.
•
Perkins, J. S.
•
Pesce-Rollins, M.
•
Petrosian, V.
•
Piron, F.
•
Pivato, G.
•
Rainò, S.
•
Rando, R.
•
Razzano, M.
•
Reimer, A.
•
Spinelli, P.
•
Reimer, O.
•
Reposeur, T.
•
Sgrò, C.
•
Siskind, E. J.
•
Spada, F.
•
Spandre, G.
•
Takahashi, H.
•
Thayer, J. B.
•
Thompson, D. J.
•
Tibaldo, L.
•
Torres, D. F.
•
Tosti, G.
•
Troja, E.
•
Vianello, G.
•
Winer, B. L.
•
Bottacini, E.
•
Wood, K. S.
•
Yassine, M.
•
Cerutti, F.
•
Ferrari, A.
•
Sala, P. R.
•
Fermi LAT Collaboration
•
Bregeon, J.
•
Bruel, P.
•
Buehler, R.
•
Caliandro, G. A.
•
Cameron, R. A.
•
Caragiulo, M.
•
•
Cavazzuti, E.
•
Cecchi, C.
•
Chekhtman, A.
•
Chiang, J.
•
Chiaro, G.
•
Ciprini, S.
•
Claus, R.
•
Cohen-Tanugi, J.
•
Costanza, F.
•
Cuoco, A.
•
Cutini, S.
•
•
de Angelis, A.
•
de Palma, F.
•
Desiante, R.
•
Digel, S. W.
•
Di Venere, L.
•
Drell, P. S.
•
Favuzzi, C.
•
Fegan, S. J.
•
Focke, W. B.
•
Franckowiak, A.
•
Funk, S.
•
Fusco, P.
•
Gargano, F.
•
Gasparrini, D.
•
Giglietto, N.
•
Giordano, F.
•
•
Glanzman, T.
•
Godfrey, G.
•
Grenier, I. A.
•
Grove, J. E.
•
Guiriec, S.
•
Harding, A. K.
•
Hewitt, J. W.
•
Horan, D.
•
Hou, X.
•
•
Jóhannesson, G.
•
Kamae, T.
•
Kuss, M.
•
Larsson, S.
•
Latronico, L.
•
Li, J.
•
Li, L.
•
Longo, F.
•
Loparco, F.
•
Lovellette, M. N.
DOI
Abstract
We have measured the gamma-ray emission spectrum of the Moon using the data collected by the Large Area Telescope onboard the Fermi satellite during its first seven years of operation, in the energy range from 30 MeV up to a few GeV. We have also studied the time evolution of the flux, finding a correlation with the solar activity. We have developed a full Monte Carlo simulation describing the interactions of cosmic rays with the lunar surface. The results of the present analysis can be explained in the framework of this model, where the production of gamma rays is due to the interactions of cosmic-ray proton and helium nuclei with the surface of the Moon. Finally, we have used our simulation to derive the cosmic-ray proton and helium spectra near Earth from the Moon gamma-ray data.
Volume
93
Issue
8
Start page
082001
Uri
Url
Issn Identifier
2470-0010
Ads BibCode
2016PhRvD..93h2001A
Rights
open.access
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