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An asymmetric distribution of positrons in the Galactic disk revealed by γ-rays

Author

Listed:
  • Georg Weidenspointner

    (Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, CNRS/UPS, BP 44346, Toulouse Cedex 4, France
    Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, 85741 Garching, Germany
    MPI Halbleiterlabor, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, 81739 München, Germany)

  • Gerry Skinner

    (Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, CNRS/UPS, BP 44346, Toulouse Cedex 4, France
    CRESST and Code 661, NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
    University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA)

  • Pierre Jean

    (Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, CNRS/UPS, BP 44346, Toulouse Cedex 4, France)

  • Jürgen Knödlseder

    (Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, CNRS/UPS, BP 44346, Toulouse Cedex 4, France)

  • Peter von Ballmoos

    (Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, CNRS/UPS, BP 44346, Toulouse Cedex 4, France)

  • Giovanni Bignami

    (Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, CNRS/UPS, BP 44346, Toulouse Cedex 4, France
    IUSS (Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori), Lungo Ticino 56, 27100, Pavia, Italy)

  • Roland Diehl

    (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, 85741 Garching, Germany)

  • Andrew W. Strong

    (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, 85741 Garching, Germany)

  • Bertrand Cordier

    (DSM/DAPNIA/SAp, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France)

  • Stéphane Schanne

    (DSM/DAPNIA/SAp, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France)

  • Christoph Winkler

    (ESA/ESTEC, SCI-SA, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Local antimatter unveiled Antimatter is not an exotic rarity found only in the depths of the Universe: there are large quantities in our own Galaxy. We know this because we see the 511-keV γ-ray emission line, a signature of electron–positron annihilation, coming from the general direction of the Galactic Centre. The origin of the positrons has remained a mystery, but the distribution of the annihilation line radiation provides a clue. Astronomers now have the tools that can work out that distribution, and analysis of more than four years of spectroscopic data from the INTEGRAL satellite reveals an unexpected distribution of the 511-keV γ-ray emission from the inner Galactic disk, suggesting that the positrons originate in binary stars containing black holes or neutron stars.

Suggested Citation

  • Georg Weidenspointner & Gerry Skinner & Pierre Jean & Jürgen Knödlseder & Peter von Ballmoos & Giovanni Bignami & Roland Diehl & Andrew W. Strong & Bertrand Cordier & Stéphane Schanne & Christoph Wink, 2008. "An asymmetric distribution of positrons in the Galactic disk revealed by γ-rays," Nature, Nature, vol. 451(7175), pages 159-162, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:451:y:2008:i:7175:d:10.1038_nature06490
    DOI: 10.1038/nature06490
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