The annihilation of galactic positrons.
Abstract
The annihilation of galactic positrons is studied in order to evaluate the probabilities of various channels of annihilation and to calculate the spectrum of the resulting radiation. The narrow width (FWHM less than 3.2 keV) of the 0.511-MeV line observed from the galactic center by Leventhal, McCallum, and Stang (1978) implies that a large fraction of positrons should annihilate in a medium of temperature less than 100,000 K and ionization fraction greater than 0.05. H II regions at the galactic center could be possible sites of annihilation.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 1979
- DOI:
- 10.1086/156920
- Bibcode:
- 1979ApJ...228..928B
- Keywords:
-
- Galactic Nuclei;
- Line Spectra;
- Milky Way Galaxy;
- Nuclear Reactions;
- Positron Annihilation;
- Positronium;
- Charge Exchange;
- Energy Dissipation;
- Energy Spectra;
- Free Electrons;
- Gas Ionization;
- H Ii Regions;
- Interstellar Gas;
- Thermalization (Energy Absorption);
- Space Radiation;
- Galactic Center:Gamma Rays;
- Galactic Center:Nuclear Reactions