Extragalactic gamma radiation: use of galaxy counts as a galactic tracer

Technical Report · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6512732

Thompson, D J; Fichtel, C E

A derivation of the extragalactic diffuse gamma radiation with energies above 35 MeV was carried out using galaxy counts as a tracer of galactic matter. The extragalactic radiation has a differential photon number spectrum which may be expressed as a power law with index 2.35 (+0.4, -0.3) and an intensity above 35 MeV of (5.5 + or - 1.3) 0.00001 photons sq cm/s/ster, consistent with previous derivations. Use of a 1/sin of the absolute value of b expression of the galactic component produces a poorer fit, suggesting that the high-latitude galactic gamma-ray production may be dominated by cosmic ray interactions with matter rather than by Compton interactions of cosmic rays with photon fields.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
• OSTI ID: 6512732
• Report Number(s): NASA-TM-83901
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640101* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmic Radiation
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
COMPTON EFFECT
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY RANGE
GAMMA RADIATION
INTERACTIONS
INTERGALACTIC SPACE
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MEV RANGE
MEV RANGE 10-100
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
SPACE