‘Local’ Theories of the X-Ray Background

Abstract

Recent theories of the origins of diffuse-background X-rays are reviewed, with emphasis on theories of the soft flux in the galactic plane and at the poles. This is probably partly galactic and partly extragalactic in origin. Failure to observe absorption by the Small Magellanic Cloud and by galactic gas in neighboring directions may be due to sources in the Cloud and to statistical fluctuations in galactic emission and absorption. Several models for numerous low-luminosity sources in the Galaxy are available. True ‘diffuse’ emission seems unnecessary. Absorption by Galactic gas seems to agree roughly with theory. The soft extragalactic component may arise in a hot intergalactic medium.The existence of a ‘diffuse’ galactic-plane excess in 1–100 keV is in some doubt. Low-luminosity sources may contribute to this as well.For isotropic X-rays in 1 keV – 1 MeV, superposition theories involving clusters of galaxies, Seyfert galaxies, etc. over a cosmological path length are now roughly viable. Simple ‘metagalactic’ Compton theories seem excluded if the break at 40 keV is sharp, but this is now in doubt. A very hot intergalactic medium at T ≈ 3 × 108 K would give the possibility of a sharp break.A recent upper limit on the line source strength of 100-MeV photons in the galactic plane may create some difficulties for cosmic-ray theory. The spectral shape of π-γ photons has become a matter of theoretical dispute.