Positron transport and annihilation in the Galactic bulge

Fiona Helen Panther*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

    13 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The annihilation of positrons in the MilkyWay Galaxy has been observed for ~50 years; however, the production sites of these positrons remains hard to identify. The observed morphology of positron annihilation gamma-rays provides information on the annihilation sites of these Galactic positrons. It is understood that the positrons responsible for the annihilation signal originate at MeV energies. The majority of sources of MeV positrons occupy the star-forming thin disk of the Milky Way. If positrons propagate far from their sources, we must develop accurate models of positron propagation through all interstellar medium (ISM) phases in order to reveal the currently uncertain origin of these Galactic positrons. On the other hand, if positrons annihilate close to their sources, an alternative source of MeV positrons with a distribution that matches the annihilation morphology must be identified. In this work, I discuss the various models that have been developed to understand the origin of the 511 keV line from the direction of the Galactic bulge, and the propagation of positrons in the ISM.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number39
    JournalGalaxies
    Volume6
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 21 Mar 2018

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