Astroparticle Physics with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

by Luca Baldini (PI)

Tuesday 20 Mar 2012, 15:00 → 16:00 Europe/Rome

G (Dipartimento di Fisica, Edificio B)

Designed to survey the gamma-ray sky above 20 MeV with unprecedented depth, resolution and frequency of coverage, the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on-board Fermi has effectively opened a new and important observational window on a wide variety of astroparticle physics topics. With the observatory about to complete the fourth year of operation, we shall review some of the science highlights in the context of the multi-messenger information provided by the last generation of gamma-ray and cosmic-ray detectors (in space, on balloons and on the ground). The tone of the discussion will be aimed at non-specialists and emphasis will be put on the items of broadest interest in the Fermi science repertoire---particularly those connected with the origin and propagation of cosmic rays, that Fermi addresses through three different lines of research: direct measurements, study of the diffuse gamma-ray emission, and imaging of likely acceleration sites. Results of indirect dark matter searches and limits on possible Lorentz Invariance Violation (LIV) will be also briefly discussed.