X-Rays from Accelerated Ion Interactions
Abstract
We have developed in detail the theory of X-ray line and continuum production due to atomic interactions of accelerated ions, incorporating in our calculations information from a broad range of laboratory measurements. We applied our calculations to the Orion region from which nuclear gamma-ray line observations with the COMPTEL instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) were reported. The accelerated particles which produce this gamma-ray emission via nuclear reactions also produce X-ray lines via atomic interactions. We predict strong, relatively broad line emission in the range from 0.5 to 1 keV, mainly due to de-excitations in fast O ions. Current ROSAT observations of Orion do not provide unambiguous signatures for X-ray production by accelerated ions. However, if future X-ray observations with high spectral resolution would confirm the predicted X-rays, the combined analysis of the X-ray and gamma-ray data will set important constraints on the origin of the accelerated particles and their interaction model.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- September 1998
- DOI:
- 10.1086/306118
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/9804269
- Bibcode:
- 1998ApJ...504..874T
- Keywords:
-
- ACCELERATION OF PARTICLES;
- ATOMIC PROCESSES;
- GAMMA RAYS: THEORY;
- ISM: INDIVIDUAL NAME: ORION;
- LINE: FORMATION;
- X-RAYS: GENERAL;
- Acceleration of Particles;
- Atomic Processes;
- Gamma Rays: Theory;
- ISM: Individual: Name: Orion;
- Line: Formation;
- X-Rays: General;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 26 pages, 14 figures