COMPTEL observations of the Orion complex: evidence for cosmic-ray induces gamma-ray lines

H Bloemen; Rudy Adam   Dirk Wijnands; K Bennet; R Diehl; W Hermsen; G Lichti; D Morris; J Ryan; V Schonfelder; AW Strong; BN Swanenburg; C de Vries; C Winkler

COMPTEL observations of the Orion complex: evidence for cosmic-ray induces gamma-ray lines

H Bloemen, Rudy Adam Dirk Wijnands, K Bennet, R Diehl, W Hermsen, G Lichti, D Morris, J Ryan, V Schonfelder, AW Strong, BN Swanenburg, C de Vries, C Winkler

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We report the detection of gamma-ray emission from the Orion complex in the 3-7 MeV range by the COMPTEL telescope aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. This emission can be identified with the 4.44 MeV and 6.13 MeV nuclear de-excitation lines of C-12* and O-16*, respectively, which are predicted to be the strongest gamma-ray lines originating from the interaction of energetic particles with ambient matter. However, the observed flux of (1.0 +/- 0.15) X 10(-4) photon cm-2 s-1 (3-7 MeV) is much larger than anticipated. There is good circumstantial evidence that our findings indicate strongly enhanced abundances of C and O in low-energy cosmic rays (approximately 10 MeV/nucleon), rather than high fluxes of cosmic-ray protons and alpha-particles. The positrons resulting from energetic particle interactions in the Orion region should produce 511 keV annihilation radiation that is detectable by OSSE.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	L5-L8
Number of pages	4
Journal	Astronomy & Astrophysics
Volume	281
Publication status	Published - Jan 1994

Keywords

GAMMA RAYS, OBSERVATIONS
COSMIC RAYS, GENERAL
INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM, CLOUD, ORION
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS

Cite this

@article{a1cb75f814b84205a5564ad0fcb79afe,

title = "COMPTEL observations of the Orion complex: evidence for cosmic-ray induces gamma-ray lines",

abstract = "We report the detection of gamma-ray emission from the Orion complex in the 3-7 MeV range by the COMPTEL telescope aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. This emission can be identified with the 4.44 MeV and 6.13 MeV nuclear de-excitation lines of C-12* and O-16*, respectively, which are predicted to be the strongest gamma-ray lines originating from the interaction of energetic particles with ambient matter. However, the observed flux of (1.0 +/- 0.15) X 10(-4) photon cm-2 s-1 (3-7 MeV) is much larger than anticipated. There is good circumstantial evidence that our findings indicate strongly enhanced abundances of C and O in low-energy cosmic rays (approximately 10 MeV/nucleon), rather than high fluxes of cosmic-ray protons and alpha-particles. The positrons resulting from energetic particle interactions in the Orion region should produce 511 keV annihilation radiation that is detectable by OSSE.",

keywords = "GAMMA RAYS, OBSERVATIONS, COSMIC RAYS, GENERAL, INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM, CLOUD, ORION, PARTICLE INTERACTIONS",

author = "H Bloemen and Wijnands, {Rudy Adam Dirk} and K Bennet and R Diehl and W Hermsen and G Lichti and D Morris and J Ryan and V Schonfelder and AW Strong and BN Swanenburg and {de Vries}, C and C Winkler",

year = "1994",

month = jan,

language = "English",

volume = "281",

pages = "L5--L8",

journal = "Astronomy & Astrophysics",

issn = "0004-6361",

publisher = "EDP SCIENCES S A",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - COMPTEL observations of the Orion complex: evidence for cosmic-ray induces gamma-ray lines

AU - Bloemen, H

AU - Wijnands, Rudy Adam Dirk

AU - Bennet, K

AU - Diehl, R

AU - Hermsen, W

AU - Lichti, G

AU - Morris, D

AU - Ryan, J

AU - Schonfelder, V

AU - Strong, AW

AU - Swanenburg, BN

AU - de Vries, C

AU - Winkler, C

PY - 1994/1

Y1 - 1994/1

N2 - We report the detection of gamma-ray emission from the Orion complex in the 3-7 MeV range by the COMPTEL telescope aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. This emission can be identified with the 4.44 MeV and 6.13 MeV nuclear de-excitation lines of C-12* and O-16*, respectively, which are predicted to be the strongest gamma-ray lines originating from the interaction of energetic particles with ambient matter. However, the observed flux of (1.0 +/- 0.15) X 10(-4) photon cm-2 s-1 (3-7 MeV) is much larger than anticipated. There is good circumstantial evidence that our findings indicate strongly enhanced abundances of C and O in low-energy cosmic rays (approximately 10 MeV/nucleon), rather than high fluxes of cosmic-ray protons and alpha-particles. The positrons resulting from energetic particle interactions in the Orion region should produce 511 keV annihilation radiation that is detectable by OSSE.

AB - We report the detection of gamma-ray emission from the Orion complex in the 3-7 MeV range by the COMPTEL telescope aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. This emission can be identified with the 4.44 MeV and 6.13 MeV nuclear de-excitation lines of C-12* and O-16*, respectively, which are predicted to be the strongest gamma-ray lines originating from the interaction of energetic particles with ambient matter. However, the observed flux of (1.0 +/- 0.15) X 10(-4) photon cm-2 s-1 (3-7 MeV) is much larger than anticipated. There is good circumstantial evidence that our findings indicate strongly enhanced abundances of C and O in low-energy cosmic rays (approximately 10 MeV/nucleon), rather than high fluxes of cosmic-ray protons and alpha-particles. The positrons resulting from energetic particle interactions in the Orion region should produce 511 keV annihilation radiation that is detectable by OSSE.

KW - GAMMA RAYS, OBSERVATIONS

KW - COSMIC RAYS, GENERAL

KW - INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM, CLOUD, ORION

KW - PARTICLE INTERACTIONS

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 281

SP - L5-L8

JO - Astronomy & Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy & Astrophysics

ER -

COMPTEL observations of the Orion complex: evidence for cosmic-ray induces gamma-ray lines

Abstract

Keywords

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