Study of the diffuse galactic gamma radiation

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6592347

Fichtel, C E; Kniffen, D A

The observed diffuse galactic gamma radiation is compared to that predicted from galactic cosmic ray interactions with galactic matter and photons, assuming that on a broad scale the galactic cosmic rays in the plane are correlated with matter density. Recent considerations of the galactic diffuse matter distribution, particularly the molecular hydrogen, the galactic photon density, and a revised cosmic ray galactic scale height, are included. The predictions are compared to the observational gamma ray longitude distributions, the latitude distribution, and energy spectrum, including the COS-B satellite results, and the COS-B background estimate. Considering the uncertainties, the agreement between the theoretical predictions and the gamma ray data seems generally reasonable, suggesting that the general concepts are likely to be correct. Both the results determined here alone and in conjunction with other work calculating source functions assuming only cosmic ray matter contributions indicate no necessity for a significant point source contribution to the diffuse gamma radiation in the energy range being considered (E(gamma)10 MeV).

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
• OSTI ID: 6592347
• Report Number(s): N-84-18151; NASA-TM-86055
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640101* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmic Radiation
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BARYON-BARYON INTERACTIONS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPTON EFFECT
COSMIC PHOTONS
COSMIC RADIATION
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SPECTRA
FLUX DENSITY
HADRON-HADRON INTERACTIONS
HYDROGEN
INTERACTIONS
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
NONMETALS
NUCLEON-NUCLEON INTERACTIONS
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
PHOTONS
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
SPACE
SPECTRA