Measurement of the Cosmic Ray e++e- Spectrum from 20GeV to 1TeV with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
Abstract
Designed as a high-sensitivity gamma-ray observatory, the Fermi Large Area Telescope is also an electron detector with a large acceptance exceeding 2m2sr at 300 GeV. Building on the gamma-ray analysis, we have developed an efficient electron detection strategy which provides sufficient background rejection for measurement of the steeply falling electron spectrum up to 1 TeV. Our high precision data show that the electron spectrum falls with energy as E-3.0 and does not exhibit prominent spectral features. Interpretations in terms of a conventional diffusive model as well as a potential local extra component are briefly discussed.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- May 2009
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0905.0025
- Bibcode:
- 2009PhRvL.102r1101A
- Keywords:
-
- 96.50.sb;
- 95.35.+d;
- 95.85.Ry;
- 98.70.Sa;
- Composition energy spectra and interactions;
- Dark matter;
- Neutrino muon pion and other elementary particles;
- cosmic rays;
- Cosmic rays;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- High Energy Physics - Experiment;
- High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
- E-Print:
- 6 pages, 3 figures - submitted to Physical Review Letters on March 19, published online on May 4 - contact authors: L. Latronico, A. Moiseev