NASA STI Repository (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) · 44 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesAstronomyPhysicsAstrophysicsGamma-ray AstronomyObservational AstronomyGalactic DiskGalactic Gamma-ray AstronomyGamma-ray SourcesHigh-energy Astrophysical SourcesHigh-energy AstrophysicsDensity Wave TheoryGalactic Continuum EmissionGalactic Cosmic RaysGamma-ray Emission MechanismsHigh-energy Emission ModelsHigh-energy Gamma-ray AstronomyHigh-energy Radiation ProcessesInterstellar Gamma-ray Interactions
A model for the emission of high energy ( 100 MeV) gamma rays from the galactic disk was developed and compared to recent SAS-2 observations. In the calculation, it is assumed that (1) the high energy galactic gamma rays result primarily from the interaction of cosmic rays with galactic matter; (2) on the basis of theoretical and experimental arguments the cosmic ray density is proportional to the matter density on the scale of galactic arms; and (3) the matter in the galaxy, atomic and molecular, is distributed in a spiral pattern consistent with density wave theory and the experimental data on the matter distribution.