Stellar contribution to the galactic soft x-ray background

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981 · Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/183646· OSTI ID:5722061

Rosner, R; Avni, Y; Golub, L; Harnden, Jr, F R; Maxson, C W; Topka, K; Vaiana, G S

We construct log N-log S relations for stars based on medium x-ray luminosities for dF, dG, and dK stars previously reported for the Einstein Observatory/Center for Astrophysics stellar survey and on a detailed x-ray luminosity function derived here for dM stars, and investigate the stellar contribution to the diffuse soft x-ray background. The principal results are that stars provide approx.20% of the soft x-ray background in the 0.28--1.0 keV passband and therefore contribute significantly to the soft x-ray background in this energy range (with dM stars constituting the dominant contributing class), and that the stellar contribution to the diffuse x-ray background in the 0.15--0.28 keV passband is < or approx. =3%.

• Research Organization: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
• OSTI ID: 5722061
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States), Vol. 249:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BACKGROUND RADIATION
SOFT X RADIATION
DWARF STARS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
LUMINOSITY
RADIATION FLUX
STELLAR RADIATION
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
STARS
X RADIATION
640103* - Astrophysics &amp; Cosmology- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
&amp; X-Ray Sources- (-1987)