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

Understand

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 7 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.