Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Comptel Imaging Of The Galactic Disk And The Separation Of Diffuse Emission And Point Sources, H Bloemen, W Hermsen, B Swanenburg, C De Vries, R Diehl, V. Schonfelder, H Steinle, A W. Strong, A Connors, Mark L. Mcconnell, D Morris, G Stacy, K Bennett, C Winkler

Physics & Astronomy

The first MeV image of the inner Galaxy obtained with the COMPTEL telescope aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory shows a structured ridge of emisssion along the Galactic equator which probably consists of diffuse radiation and unresolved discrete sources. The intensity distribution of this ridge distinctly differs from the expected distribution for a simple model of the diffuse radiation. Most remarkable are the observed excursions out of the disk, which may hint at the presence of gamma-ray point sources located several degrees away from the mid-plane, but a diffuse origin cannot be excluded. If these are indeed discrete sources, a substantial …