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.
Measurement of the high-energy gamma-ray emission from the Moon with the Fermi Large Area Telescope / Ackermann M; Ajello M; Albert A; Atwood WB; Baldini L; Barbiellini G; Bastieri D; Bellazzini R; Bissaldi E; Blandford RD; Bonino R; Bottacini E; Bregeon J; Bruel P; Buehler R; Caliandro GA; Cameron RA; Caragiulo M; Caraveo PA; Cavazzuti E; Cecchi C; Chekhtman A; Chiang J; Chiaro G; Ciprini S; Claus R; Cohen-Tanugi J; Costanza F; Cuoco A; Cutini S; DAmmando F; de Angelis A; de Palma F; Desiante R; Digel SW; Di Venere L; Drell PS; Favuzzi C; Fegan SJ; Focke WB; Franckowiak A; Funk S; Fusco P; Gargano F; Gasparrini D; Giglietto N; Giordano F; Giroletti M; Glanzman T; Godfrey G; Grenier IA; Grove JE; Guiriec S; Harding AK; Hewitt JW; Horan D; Hou X; Iafrate G; Johannesson G; Kamae T; Kuss M; Larsson S; Latronico L; Li J; Li L; Longo F; Loparco F; Lovellette MN; Lubrano P; Magill J; Maldera S; Manfreda A; Mayer M; Mazziotta MN; Michelson PF; Mitthumsiri W; Mizuno T; Monzani ME; Morselli A; Murgia S; Nuss E; Omodei N; Orlando E; Ormes JF; Paneque D; Perkins JS; Pesce-Rollins M; Petrosian V; Piron F; Pivato G; Raino S; Rando R; Razzano M; Reimer A; Reimer O; Reposeur T; Sgro C; Siskind EJ; Spada F; Spandre G; Spinelli P; Takahashi H; Thayer JB; Thompson DJ; Tibaldo L; Torres DF; Tosti G; Troja E; Vianello G; Winer BL; Wood KS; Yassine M. - In: PHYSICAL REVIEW D. - ISSN 2470-0010. - STAMPA. - 93:8(2016), pp. 082001.1-082001.15. [10.1103/PhysRevD.93.082001]
Measurement of the high-energy gamma-ray emission from the Moon with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
D'AMMANDO, FILIPPO;
2016
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.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
