Publication Date:
2011-08-19
Description:
A comparison of COS-B gamma-ray observations of the large complex of interstellar clouds in Orion and Monoceros with the Columbia CO and Berkeley H I surveys of this region reveals a good correlation between gamma-ray emission and total gas distribution. The observed gamma-ray emission is explainable in terms of interactions of cosmic rays that are uniformly distributed in this region with the interstellar gas. The correlation is used as the basis of a calibration of the ratio between H2 column density and the integrated CO line intensity; the value of (2.6 + or - 1.2) X 10 to the 20th mol/sq cm K km s thereby obtained is consistent with the value derived from a similar analysis for the inner galaxy.
Keywords:
ASTROPHYSICS
Type:
Astronomy and Astrophysics (ISSN 0004-6361); 139; 1, Oc
Format:
text