Annihilation of positrons in the Galaxy
Abstract
Observations of electron-positron annihilation radiation from the Galactic Center region with the SPI instrument aboard INTEGRAL are summarized. The measured width of the 511 keV line and inferred fraction of positrons annihilating through positronium formation are consistent with the annihilation taking place in the warm ISM phase, although combinations of several ISM phases are also allowed by the data. The spatial distribution of 511 keV emission suggests that positron sources are concentrated toward the Galactic bulge and avoid the Galactic disk.
- Publication:
-
Experimental Astronomy
- Pub Date:
- December 2005
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s10686-006-9039-0
- Bibcode:
- 2005ExA....20...15S
- Keywords:
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- Galaxy: Center;
- Gamma rays: Observations;
- ISM: General