Performance of the MACRO detector at Gran Sasso: Moon shadow and seasonal variations

Giglietto, N.; Ambrosio, M.; Antolini, R.; Auriemma, G.; Baker, R.; Baldini, A.; Barbarino, G. C.; Barish, C.; Battistoni, G.; Bellotti, R.; Bemporad, C.; Bernardini, P.; Bilokon, H.; Bisi, V.; Bloise, C.; Bosio, T.; Bower, C.; Bussino, S.; Cafagna, F.; Calicchio, M.; Campana, D.; Carboni, M.; Castellano, M.; Cecchini, S.; Cei, F.; Chiarella, V.; Corona, A.; Coutu, S.; De Benedictis, L.; De Cataldo, G.; Dekhissi, H.; De Marzo, C.; De Mitri, I.; De Vincenzi, M.; Di Credico, A.; Erriquez, O.; Fantini, R.; Favuzzi, C.; Forti, C.; Fusco, P.; Giacomelli, G.; Giannini, G.; Goretti, M.; Grassi, M.; Green, P.; Grillo, A.; Guarino, F.; Guarnaccia, P.; Gustavino, C.; Habig, A.; Hanson, K.; Hawthorne, A.; Heinz, R.; Hong, J. T.; Iarocci, E.; Katsavounidis, E.; Kearns, E.; Kyriazopoulou, S.; Lamanna, E.; Lane, C.; Levin, D. S.; Lipari, P.; Liu, G.; Liu, R.; Longley, N. P.; Longo, M. J.; Ludlam, G.; Maaroufi, F.; Mancarella, G.; Mandrioli, G.; Margiotta-Neri, A.; Marini, A.; Martello, D.; Marzari-Chiesa, A.; Mazziotta, M. N.; Michael, D. G.; Mikheyev, S.; Miller, L.; Monacelli, P.; Montaruli, T.; Monteno, M.; Mufson, S.; Musser, J.; Nicolo, D.; Nolty, R.; Okada, C.; Orht, C.; Osteria, G.; Palamara, O.; Parlati, S.; Patera, V.; Patrizii, L.; Pazzi, R.; Peck, C. W.; Petrera, S.; Pignatano, N. D.; Pistilli, P.; Popa, V.; Raino, A.; Reynoldson, J.; Ronga, F.; Rubizzo, U.; Sanzgiri, A.; Sartogo, F.; Satriano, C.; Satta, L.; Scapparone, E.; Scholberg, K.; Sciubba, A.; Serra-Lugaresi, P.; Severi, M.; Sitta, M.; Spada, P. F.; Spinelli, P.; Spinetti, M.; Spurio, M.; Steinberg, R.; Stone, J. L.; Sulak, L. R.; Surdo, A.; Tarle, G.; Togo, V.; Valente, V.; Vilela, E.; Walter, C. W.; Webb, R.

doi:10.1016/S0920-5632(97)00559-8

The MACRO underground detector at Gran Sasso has recorded about 30 million muon events in the period 1989-1995. We have analyzed these data to look for time variations and to study the pointing capabilities of the apparatus in the search for astrophysical point sources. We have observed a 3% seasonal variation of the high energy muon rate, due to atmospheric temperature variations, in agreement with theoretical predictions. We report also the detection of the moon shadowing effect with a statistical significance of 3.7 sigma. The results obtained straighten the possibility that a "muon astronomy" using underground experiments is possible.

Performance of the MACRO detector at Gran Sasso: Moon shadow and seasonal variations / Giglietto, N., Ambrosio, M., Antolini, R., Auriemma, G., Baker, R., Baldini, A., Barbarino, G.C., Barish, C., Battistoni, G., Bellotti, R., Bemporad, C., Bernardini, P., Bilokon, H., Bisi, V., Bloise, C., Bosio, T., Bower, C., Bussino, S., Cafagna, F., Calicchio, M., et al.. - STAMPA. - 61:3 s.i.(1998), pp. 180-184. (5th International Conference on Advanced Technology and Particle Physics, ICATPP-5 Como, Italy October 07-11, 1996) [10.1016/S0920-5632(97)00559-8].