Name | 080241 |
Title | Probing Galactic Center MeV-GeV Cosmic-ray Population with Sgr B2 Fe K Emission |
URL | https://nxsa.esac.esa.int/nxsa-sl/servlet/data-action-aio?obsno=0802410101 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-ymfjpzv |
Author | Dr Shuo Zhang |
Description | It has been a long-standing challenge to probe cosmic-ray particles at the center of our Galaxy. Low energy cosmic-ray protons (LECRp) with energies of MeV to GeV can produce 6.4 keV Fe K-alpha line and continuum X-ray emission through interaction with cold molecular materials. The Fe K-alpha emission from the densest Galactic Center molecular cloud Sgr B2 has been decaying for the past decade, which has been dominated by reflection of a past Sgr A* X-ray outburst. However, as the X-ray reflection component keeps fading, a constant Fe K-alpha emission component will take the stage beginning early 2017. The flux level of the Sgr B2 Fe K- alpha emission measured in 2017-2018 will for the first time put strong constraints on the MeV- GeV cosmic-ray proton population, not previously achievable. |
Publication | No observations found associated with the current proposal |
Instrument | EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2 |
Temporal Coverage | 2018-04-02T00:59:38Z/2018-04-03T05:36:18Z |
Version | 17.56_20190403_1200 |
Mission Description | The European Space Agency's (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESA's 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 Earth's 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. |
Creator Contact | https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/xmm-newton-helpdesk |
Date Published | 2019-05-04T22:00:00Z |
Publisher And Registrant | European Space Agency |
Credit Guidelines | European Space Agency, 2019-05-04T22:00:00Z, 080241, 17.56_20190403_1200. https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-ymfjpzv |