The Fermi Large Area Telescope as a Cosmic-Ray Detector
Abstract
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is a space observatory aimed at studying the high-energy Universe. The main instrument onboard Fermi, the Large Area Telescope (LAT), was designed as a pair-conversion gamma-ray telescope, but has also been successfully used to measure the inclusive spectrum of electrons plus positrons up to 1 TeV and in searching for anisotropies in the incoming direction of electrons and positrons. In addition, a measurement of cosmic-ray positron-only and electron-only spectra for energies between 20 GeV and 200 GeV was accomplished by using the Earth's magnetic field as a charge separator. I will describe the challenges involved in using the LAT as a cosmic-ray detector and review our most recent results in this field, together with their interpretation.
- Publication:
-
AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #13
- Pub Date:
- April 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013HEAD...1320002M