Local interstellar gas distribution from gamma-ray emission
Abstract
COS-B data in the latitude range 11° < |b| < 19° show the gamma-ray intensity to be closely correlated with the total line-of-sight absorption derived from galaxy counts. It is argued that to a good approximation the gamma-ray intensity is proportional to the total gas column density, and on this basis a map of the angular distribution of local molecular hydrogen is presented. This is compared with a similar map produced from galaxy counts. Several interesting structures are present, including regions of the southern celestial hemisphere inaccessible to galaxy counts.
- Publication:
-
Surveys of the Southern Galaxy
- Pub Date:
- 1983
- DOI:
- 10.1007/978-94-009-7217-9_13
- Bibcode:
- 1983ASSL..105...99S
- Keywords:
-
- Galactic Radiation;
- Gamma Ray Absorption;
- Interstellar Gas;
- Molecular Spectroscopy;
- Spatial Distribution;
- Angular Distribution;
- Gamma Ray Astronomy;
- Gas Density;
- Hydrogen Clouds;
- Southern Hemisphere;
- Tracers;
- Astrophysics