GLOBAL COSMIC-RAY-RELATED LUMINOSITY AND ENERGY BUDGET OF THE MILKY WAY

Journal Article · Sun Oct 10 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/722/1/L58· OSTI ID:21452757

Strong, A W; Martin, P; Orlando, E ^[1]; Porter, T A; Johannesson, G; Moskalenko, I V ^[2]; Digel, S W ^[3]

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1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, D-85741 Garching (Germany)
2. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)
3. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States)

We use the GALPROP code for cosmic-ray (CR) propagation to calculate the broadband luminosity spectrum of the Milky Way related to CR propagation and interactions in the interstellar medium. This includes {gamma}-ray emission from the production and subsequent decay of neutral pions ({pi}{sup 0}), bremsstrahlung, and inverse Compton scattering, and synchrotron radiation. The Galaxy is found to be nearly a CR electron calorimeter, but only if {gamma}-ray emitting processes are taken into account. Synchrotron radiation alone accounts for only one-third of the total electron energy losses with {approx}10%-20% of the total synchrotron emission from secondary CR electrons and positrons. The relationship between far-infrared and radio luminosity that we find from our models is consistent with that found for galaxies in general. The results will be useful for understanding the connection between diffuse emissions from radio through {gamma}-rays in 'normal' (non-active galactic nucleus dominated) galaxies as well as for estimating the broadband extragalactic diffuse background from these kinds of galaxies.

• OSTI ID: 21452757
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 722; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BOSONS
COMPTON EFFECT
COSMIC RADIATION
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EMISSION
ENERGY BALANCE
FERMIONS
GALAXIES
GAMMA RADIATION
HADRONS
INTERACTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
LUMINOSITY
MATTER
MESONS
MILKY WAY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTON EMISSION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PIONS
PIONS NEUTRAL
POSITRONS
PSEUDOSCALAR MESONS
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING