Cosmic Ray Nuclei in the Fermi-LAT ACD
Abstract
The Anti-Coincidence Detector (ACD) of the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) serves to identify charged particles, which cross the LAT at a rate orders of magnitude higher than that of the gamma-ray signal. We have developed a method that uses cosmic-ray nuclei, Z > 3, as a calibration source to improve charge resolution of the light deposit measurement in the ACD at high light levels. Improving the charge resolution of the ACD gives the LAT an additional tool for cosmic-ray nuclei charge discrimination and therefore enhances the LAT's capability for analysis of cosmic-ray nuclei. In this analysis, we are able to distinguish eight cosmic-ray nuclei: boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, magnesium, silicon and iron in the LAT ACD's data. We present the results of our method, and demonstrate improved charge resolution for cosmic-ray nuclei in the ACD.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #223
- Pub Date:
- January 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014AAS...22314915G