A High Spectral Resolution Study of the Soft X-ray Background with the X-ray Quantum Calorimeter

Abstract

We present here a combined analysis of four high spectral resolution observations of the Diffuse X-ray Background (DXRB), made using the University of Wisconsin-Madison/Goddard Space Flight Center X-ray Quantum Calorimeter (XQC) sounding rocket payload. The observed spectra support the existence of a $\sim 0.1$keV Local Hot Bubble and a $\sim 0.2$keV Hot Halo, with discrepancies between repeated observations compatible with expected contributions of time-variable emission from Solar Wind Charge Exchange (SWCX). An additional component of $\sim 0.9$keV emission observed only at low galactic latitudes can be consistently explained by unresolved dM stars.

21 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ