Molecular hydrogen in the galaxy and galactic gamma rays

Abstract

Estimates made of column densities of H2 at galactic longitude equals 0 deg indicate that H2 is far more abundant than HI in the inner galaxy and is the key to an explanation of the gamma-ray observations. This is also reflected in the correlation of galactic longitude and latitude distributions of gamma-rays and molecular clouds. Particularly strong evidence is found from the galactic survey of CO emission at 2.64 mm. The cosmic-ray distribution inferred from the calculations is not uniform but only weakly dependent on the total gas distribution in the inner galaxy.