At high Galactic latitudes the 3/4 keV background consists of both extragalacticand Galactic emission with uncertain relative contributions. The spectrum showsan excess over the extrapolation of the extragalactic power law observed athigher energies which has been attributed to emission from sources as varied asa Galactic halo, the Local Group, diffuse cosmological emission, and a bump orupturn in the spectra of discrete cosmological sources. By studying the shadowof an NH enhancement in the Magellanic Bridge, the observed flux can beseparated into foreground and background components placing clear constraints onboth Galactic (e.g., halo emission is linked to the Galactic energy balance andenvironment) and cosmological (e.g., the structure of the universe) models.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2004-09-21T02:56:00Z/2005-01-16T10:26:58Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
European Space Agency, Dr STEVE SNOWDEN, 2006, 'SHADOWING BY THE MAGELLANIC BRIDGE: THE ORIGIN OF THE 3/4 KEV BACKGROUND', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-hs5x1xn
