Fermi large area telescope measurements of the diffuse gamma-ray emission at intermediate galactic latitudes

Abstract

The diffuse galactic γ-ray emission is produced by cosmic rays (CRs) interacting with the interstellar gas and radiation field. Measurements by the Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory indicated excess γ-ray emission 1GeV relative to diffuse galactic γ-ray emission models consistent with directly measured CR spectra (the so-called "EGRET GeV excess"). The Large Area Telescope (LAT) instrument on the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope has measured the diffuse γ-ray emission with improved sensitivity and resolution compared to EGRET. We report on LAT measurements for energies 100 MeV to 10 GeV and galactic latitudes 10°≤|b|≤20°. The LAT spectrum for this region of the sky is well reproduced by a diffuse galactic γ-ray emission model that is consistent with local CR spectra and inconsistent with the EGRET GeV excess. © 2009 The American Physical Society.