FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF TWO GAMMA-RAY EMISSION COMPONENTS FROM THE QUIESCENT SUN

Abdo AA, Ackermann M, Ajello M, Baldini L, Ballet J, Barbiellini G, Bastieri D, Bechtol K, Bellazzini R, Berenji B, Bonamente E, Borgland AW, Bouvier A, Bregeon J, Brez A, Brigida M, Bruel P, Buehler R, Buson S, Caliandro GA, Cameron RA, Caraveo PA, Casandjian JM, Cecchi C, Charles E, Chekhtman A, Chiang J, Ciprini S, Claus R, Cohen-Tanugi J, Conrad J, Cutini S, De Angelis A, De Palma F, Dermer CD, Digel SW, Do Couto E Silva E, Drell PS, Dubois R, Favuzzi C, Fegan SJ, Focke WB, Fortin P, Frailis M, Funk S, Fusco P, Gargano F, Gasparrini D, Gehrels N, Germani S, Giglietto N, Giordano F, Giroletti M, Glanzman T, Godfrey G, Grenier IA, Grillo L, Guiriec S, Hadasch D, Hays E, Hughes RE, Iafrate G, Johannesson G, Johnson AS, Johnson TJ, Kamae T, Katagiri H, Kataoka J, Knoedlseder J, Kuss MW, Lande J, Latronico L, Lee SH, Lionetto AM, Longo F, Loparco F, Lott B, Lovellette MN, Lubrano P, Makeev A, Mazziotta MN, Mcenery JE, Mehault J, Michelson PF, Mitthumsiri W, Mizuno T, Moiseev AA, Monte C, Monzani ME, Morselli A, Moskalenko IV, Murgia S, Nakamori T, Naumann-Godo M, Nolan PL, Norris JP, Nuss E, Ohsugi T, Okumura A, Omodei N, Orlando E, Ormes JF, Ozaki M, Paneque D, Pelassa V, Pesce-Rollins M, Pierbattista M, Piron F, Porter TA, Raino S, Rando R, Razzano M, Reimer A, Reimer O, Reposeur T, Ritz S, Sadrozinski HFW, Schalk TL, Sgro C, Share GH, Siskind EJ, Smith PD, Spandre G, Spinelli P, Strickman MS, Strong AW, Takahashi HH, Tanaka T, Thayer JG, Thayer JB, Thompson DJ, Tibaldo L, Torres DF, Tosti G, Tramacere A, Troja E, Uchiyama Y, Usher TL, Vandenbroucke J, Vasileiou V, Vianello G, Vilchez N, Vitale V, Vladimirov AE, Waite AP, Wang P, Winer BL, Wood KS, Yang Z, Ziegler M (2011)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2011

Journal

Book Volume: 734

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/734/2/116

Abstract

We report the detection of high-energy gamma-rays from the quiescent Sun with the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope (Fermi) during the first 18 months of the mission. These observations correspond to the recent period of low solar activity when the emission induced by cosmic rays (CRs) is brightest. For the first time, the high statistical significance of the observations allows clear separation of the two components: the point-like emission from the solar disk due to CR cascades in the solar atmosphere and extended emission from the inverse Compton (IC) scattering of CR electrons on solar photons in the heliosphere. The observed integral flux (>= 100 MeV) from the solar disk is (4.6 +/- 0.2inverted right perpendicularstatistical errorinverted left perpendicular(-0.08)(+1.0)inverted right perpendicularsystematic errorinverted left perpendicular) x 10(-7) cm(-2) s(-1), which is similar to 7 times higher than predicted by the "nominal" model of Seckel et al. In contrast, the observed integral flux (>= 100 MeV) of the extended emission from a region of 20 degrees radius centered on the Sun, but excluding the disk itself, (6.8 +/- 0.7[stat.](-0.4)(+0.5)[syst.]) x 10(-7) cm(-2) s(-1), along with the observed spectrum and the angular profile, is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions for the IC emission.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

George Mason University United States (USA) (US) Stanford University United States (USA) (US) National Institute for Nuclear Physics / Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Italy (IT) University of Paris 7 - Denis Diderot / Université Paris VII Denis Diderot France (FR) University of California Santa Cruz United States (USA) (US) University of Bari Aldo Moro / Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro Italy (IT) École Polytechnique - Université Paris-Saclay France (FR) Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) Spain (ES) National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF) Italy (IT) Artep United States (USA) (US) Università degli Studi di Perugia Italy (IT) University of Montpellier / Université Montpellier France (FR) Stockholm University / Stockholms universitet Sweden (SE) Italian Space Agency / Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) Italy (IT) University of Udine / Università degli Studi di Udine Italy (IT) U.S. Naval Research Laboratory United States (USA) (US) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) United States (USA) (US) University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) United States (USA) (US) Ohio State University United States (USA) (US) Hiroshima University / 広島大学 Japan (JP) Waseda University / 早稲田大学 Japan (JP) National Center for Scientific Research / Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) France (FR) University of Denver United States (USA) (US) Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) Japan (JP) University of Iceland (UI) / Háskóli Íslands Iceland (IS) Université Bordeaux 1, Sciences et Technologies France (FR) University of Maryland United States (USA) (US) NYCB Real-Time Computing, Inc. United States (USA) (US) Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) / Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Abdo, A.A., Ackermann, M., Ajello, M., Baldini, L., Ballet, J., Barbiellini, G.,... Ziegler, M. (2011). FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF TWO GAMMA-RAY EMISSION COMPONENTS FROM THE QUIESCENT SUN. Astrophysical Journal, 734(2). https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/734/2/116

MLA:

Abdo, A. A., et al. "FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF TWO GAMMA-RAY EMISSION COMPONENTS FROM THE QUIESCENT SUN." Astrophysical Journal 734.2 (2011).

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