This thesis uses the data from twenty ROSAT and XMM observations to investigate the structures that generate the soft X-ray background of the Milky Way. Ten of these observations lie in the direction of the Loop 1 Superbubble, specifically, within the North Polar Spur, the Northern Bulge, and immediately south of the Galactic Plane. The others are located in the Anti-centre direction, where the X-ray background is less complex. Using a novel processing technique, point sources and enhancements were successively removed from the observations until only the Diffuse X-ray Background (DXRB) re¬mained. By modelling the spectra of this clean data, and separately analysing the 0 and 0 viii emission lines, the various structures in the DXRB were identified, and their properties determined. The resulting models strongly indicate the existence of three previously unidentified components: a 14 pc thick, 0.1 keV shell surrounding Loop I, an inhomogeneous 0.25 keV Galactic Halo, and a non-thermal component present in the Galactic Centre direction. In contrast with previous work, no evidence was found for a cool Galactic Halo. The centre of Loop I was placed 290 pc away, 80 pc farther than previously believed. Additionally, an ongoing interaction was discovered between the Local Hot Bubble and Loop I.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:539802 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Supper, Michelle Abbie |
| Contributors | Raine, Derek |
| Publisher | University of Leicester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/2381/9626 |
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