Title: Optically thin hot plasma near the Galactic center - Mapping observations of the 6.7 keV iron line
Abstract: view Abstract Citations (159) References (19) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Optically Thin Hot Plasma near the Galactic Center: Mapping Observations of the 6.7 keV Iron Line Yamauchi, S. ; Kawada, M. ; Koyama, K. ; Kunieda, H. ; Tawara, Y. ; Hatsukade, I. Abstract Results of 6.7 keV emission-line mapping observations of the Galactic center region are reported. The 6.7 keV emission line is attributable to a helium-like iron K-shell transition in an optically thin hot plasma of a temperature about 10 to the 8th K. The surface brightness distribution of the plasma is elliptical with a major axis of 1.8 deg (FWHM) and an axial ratio of about 0.5. The major axis is tilted about 20 deg with respect to the Galactic plane. The total flux and surface brightness of the extended X-ray emission in the continuum X-ray band are determined to be (1-3) x 10 to the -9th ergs/s sq cm and (2-5) x 10 to the -6th ergs/s sq cm in 2-10 keV, respectively. The equivalent width of the iron line is estimated to be 500-1300 eV, consistent with the value expected for a cosmic iron abundance. Several possibilities of the origin of the extended plasma are considered. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: December 1990 DOI: 10.1086/169507 Bibcode: 1990ApJ...365..532Y Keywords: Galactic Nuclei; High Temperature Plasmas; Milky Way Galaxy; Optical Thickness; X Ray Spectra; Brightness Distribution; Emission Spectra; Iron; Line Spectra; Astrophysics; GALAXIES: NUCLEI; GALAXIES: THE GALAXY; X-RAYS: SOURCES; X-RAYS: SPECTRA full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (4)