Engineering topics

Mayer, C. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Mayer, C. J..

3 records

NASA NTRS1985

Relevance of cosmic gamma rays to the mass of gas in the galaxy

The bulk of the diffuse gamma-ray flux comes from cosmic ray interactions in the interstellar medium. A knowledge of the large scale spatial distribution of the Galactic gamma-rays and the cosmic rays enables the distribution of the target gas to be examined. An approach of this type is used here to estimate the total mass of the molecular gas in the galaxy. It is shown to be much less than that previously derived, viz., approximately 6 x 10 to the 8th power solar masses within the solar radius as against approximately 3 x 10 to the 9th power based on 2.6 mm CO measurements.

Bhat, C. L.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Excess gamma rays from the Loop I supernova remnant

Evidence is presented for an excess of cosmic ray intensity within the Loop I supernova remnant based on an interpretation of the observed distribution of gamma-rays across the remnant and the column densities of the associated gas. A strong case can thus be made for the bulk of the cosmic radiation (E , 10 to the 11th power eV) being produced in the Galactic supernova remnants.

Bhat, C. L.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Long term variability of the cosmic ray intensity

In a previous paper Bhat, et al., assess the evidence for the continuing acceleration of cosmic rays in the Loop I supernova remnant. The enhanced gamma-ray emission is found consistent with the Blandford and Cowie model for particle acceleration at the remnant shock wave. The contributions of other supernovae remnants to the galactic cosmic ray energy density are now considered, paying anisotropy of cosmic rays accelerated by local supernovae ( 100 pc). The results are compared with geophysical data on the fluctuations in the cosmic ray intensity over the previous one billion years.

Bhat, C. L.↗