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[35.02] Measurements of the Diffuse X-ray and \gamma-ray Emission from the Scutum Arm: Implications for the Energetics of the ISM

A. Valinia (NASA/GSFC), R. L. Kinzer (NRL), F.E. Marshall (NASA/GSFC)

We present the first simultaneous RXTE/OSSE measurements of the diffuse X-ray and \gamma-ray emission from the Galactic ridge near the Scutum arm region. The contribution of discrete hard X-ray sources detected by RXTE has been determined and subtracted from the hard X-ray/soft \gamma-ray spectrum obtained by OSSE. As a result the least contaminated spectrum of the diffuse emission from 10 keV to 200 keV has been obtained. We discuss the origin of the diffuse emission in terms of discrete sources, thermal bremsstrahlung from hot plasma, inverse Compton scattering, and non-thermal electron bremsstrahlung.

If the author provided an email address or URL for general inquiries, it is as follows:

valinia@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov