X-ray emission from the galactic disk

Abstract

A search was made of a diffuse component of X-rays 1.5 keV associated with an interarm region of the galaxy at galactic longitudes in the vicinity of 60 deg. A statistically significant excess associated with a narrow disk component was detected. The angular extent of this component has a most probable value of 2 deg and may be as large as 7 deg at 90% confidence. The best fit spectrum yields an intensity of 2.9 photons 1/(cm2-sec-ster) over the 2 to 10 keV range. The 3 sigma upper limit to any emission (e.g. iron line) in a 1.5 keV band centered at 7 keV from galactic latitudes h or = 3.5 deg is .3 photons 1/(cm2-sec-ster). Several possible emission models are discussed, with the most likely candidate being a population of unresolvable low luminosity discrete sources.