Dissecting the Inner Galaxy with γ -Ray Pixel Count Statistics

Physical Review Letters, vol. 127, pp. 161102

Abstract

We combine adaptive template fitting and pixel count statistics in order to assess the nature of the Galactic Center excess in Fermi-LAT data. We reconstruct the flux distribution of point sources well below the Fermi-LAT detection threshold, and measure their radial and longitudinal profiles in the inner Galaxy. We find that all point sources and the bulge-correlated diffuse emission each contributes O(10%) of the total inner Galaxy emission, and disclose a potential subthreshold point-source contribution to the Galactic Center excess.

Authors 3

1. Francesca Calore

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Grenoble Alpes · Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique Théorique

   Affiliation as printed

   Université Grenoble Alpes, USMB, CNRS, LAPTh, F-74940 Annecy, France

2. Fiorenza Donato

   Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino · University of Turin

   Affiliation as printed

   Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino, via P. Giuria, 1, I-10125 Torino, Italy

   Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino, via P. Giuria, 1, I-10125 Torino, Italy

3. Silvia Manconi Aachen Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology, RWTH Aachen University, Sommerfeldstraße 16, 52056 Aachen, Germany