Proposal Details - 0820037
Broad view on high energy Galactic background: "Inner Galaxy" (Sunyaev)

Proposal Summary (based on proposal abstract)

This proposal is one of three accompanying proposals aimed on obtaining legacy-level observational datasets on the Milky Way Galactic disk. The ultimate goal of the entire project (which started in AO4 and which is planned to be continued in subsequent AOs) is to have model independent and systematics free measurements of the fluxes in nuclear lines (511 keV annihilation emission, 1.8 MeV 26Al and 1.17 MeV and 1.33 MeV 60Fe lines) and a broad band spectrum of the Galactic background emission, which at different energies is provided either by cumulative emission of faint Galactic source or by interaction of low energy cosmic rays with interstellar medium. The strategy was supported by INTEGRAL TACs during previous AOs and it is proposed to continue the coverage of the Galactic disk with scanning observations. Taking into account the unique combination of properties of INTEGRAL instruments - broad band coverage, large fields of view and possibilities to eliminate the contribution of descrete sources from the total measured photon flux - the proposed strategy is the best possible usage of the valuable INTEGRAL time. In this proposal 2 Msec observations are asked of the Galactic region at l=-22.5 deg which will be complimentary to the already performed observations of the inner Galaxy at l~40, 22.5 and -45 deg. Having two model-independent, systematics free and symmetric (l=+/- 22.5 deg) measurements of the 511 keV annihilation line flux one will put strong constraints on symmetry of line emission. This proposal will provide complimentary data to the AO6 KP proposal of Weidenspointner (ID: 06K0003) which scans the Galaxy along the plane.

Observation Strategy (Recommended by TAC)

Total of 1.5 Ms consisting of rapid latitude scans across the Galactic plane (at l = -22.5+/-5) between b = -30 and +30, using a 2 degree step size and exposure duration of 2000 seconds.

Proposal grade: B

Data Rights (Recommended by TAC)

The TAC has allocated the following specific data rights to this proposal: study of the Galactic diffuse continuum emission, and of the following gamma-ray lines in the Galactic disk: positron/electron annihilation line emission (511 keV); 1.8 MeV line from 26Al; and 1.17 and 1.33 MeV 60Fe lines.

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Exposure Map

Exposure maps are in units of s and shown using Galactic coordinates. The intensity scale is given by the colourbar, and there are contour levels at 100, 300 and 500 ks.