ESA Science & Technology - The radial distribution of galactic gamma rays. IV - The whole galaxy

Publication date: 15 December 1988

Authors: Strong, A.W., et al.

Journal: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume: 207
Issue: 1
Page: 1-15
Year: 1988

Copyright: European Southern Observatory

Data from the COS-B mission and H I and CO surveys of the entire galactic plane are used to explore the correlation between diffuse galactic gamma-rays and gas tracers. An average ratio of H2 column density to integrated CO temperature of about 2.3 + or - 0.3 x 10²⁰ molecules cm^-2 (K km/s)^-1 is obtained. It is suggested that the previously noted soft gamma-ray spectrum toward the inner Galaxy may be due to a soft gamma-ray spectrum of the emission which is distributed like molecular gas.