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Orbiting Solar Observatory: OSO-8 Soft X-ray Experiment (OSO-8)

1975

This Wisconsin experiment was designed to measure galactic latitude dependence of the X-ray background radiation in the 0.150 to 45 keV region, emphasizing the soft X-ray portion. Two sets of three proportional counters mounted on the OSO wheel viewed parallel and antiparallel to the wheel spin direction. All detectors used collimators that were of hexagonal honeycomb construction with 3.5- by 3.5-deg FWHM. Sensitivity was expected to be about 1% statistical accuracy near the galactic poles, and energy resolution was provided by selected filters. Since two of the counters had thin polycarbonate windows through which methane diffused, a high-pressure methane reservoir carried on the spacecraft replenished those counters through a gas flow system. The remaining detectors were permanently sealed. The sealed counters had an additional thin film thermal barrier in the X-ray path of 551 micro-g sq cm aluminum.

From National Space Science Data Center, NSSDC ID: 1975-057A-05

Investigators

  • Dr. William Kraushaar Physics Department

Related Websites

Publications

  • Bloch, J. J.; Jahoda, K.; Juda, M.; McCammon, D.; Sanders, W. T., and Snowden, S. L. Observations of the soft X-ray diffuse background at 0.1 keV. Astrophysical Journal v.308, 1986, ppL59-L62. Reprint #4454.

  • Bunner, A. N. and Sanders, W. T. Detection of soft X-ray emission from SMC X-1. Astrophysical Journal v.228, 1979, ppL19-L22. Reprint #4453.

  • Burrows, D. N.; McCammon, D.; Sanders, W. T., and Kraushaar, W. L. Limits on soft X-ray flux from distant emission regions. Astrophysical Journal v.287, 1984, pp208-218. Reprint #4553.

  • Burstein, P.; Borken, R. J.; Kraushaar, W. L., and Sanders, W. J. Three-band observations of the soft X-ray background and some implications of thermal emission models. Astrophysical Journal v.213, 1977, pp405-420. Reprint #4451.

  • Cui, W.; Sanders, W. T.; McCammon, D.; Snowden, S. L., and Womble, D. S. Diffuse soft X-ray emission from several nearby spiral galaxies. Astrophysical Journal v.468, 1996, pp102-116. Reprint #4541.

  • Fang, Taotao; Croft, Rupert A. C.; Sandaers, Wilton T.; Houck, John; Dave, Romeel; Katz, Neal; Weinberg, David H., and Herquist, Lars. Simulation of soft X-ray emission lines from the missing baryons. Astrophysical Journal v.623, 2005. Reprint #4533.

  • OSO-8 Soft X-Ray Experiment (Wisconsin): Final report (NASA contract NAS5-11361). Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center, 1975. 71p. UW SSEC Publication No.75.08.O1.

  • Sanders, W. T. and Paulos, R. J. Spacelab Diffuse Soft X-ray Bragg Spectrometer (DXS). Final report NASA Contract NAS 5-26078. Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC), 1996. 31p. UW SSEC Publication No.96.03.S1.

  • Fried, P. M.; Nousek, J. A.; Sanders, W. T., and Kraushaar, W. L. The soft X-ray diffuse background and the structure of the local interstellar medium. Astrophysical Journal v.242, no.3, 1980, pp987-1004. Reprint #4546.

  • Guo, Z.; Burrows, D. N.; Sanders, W. T.; Snowden, S. L., and Penprase, B. E. X-ray morphology, kinematics, and geometry of the Eridanus soft X-ray enhancements. Astrophysical Journal v.453, 1995, pp256-263. Reprint #4539.

  • Juda, M.; Bloch, J. J.; Edwards, B. C.; McCammon, D.; Sandaers, W. T.; Snowden, S. L., and Zhang, J. Limits on the density of neutral gas within 100 parsecs from observations of the soft X-ray background. Astrophysical Journal v.367, 1991, pp182-185. Reprint #4551.

  • Kraushaar, W., Burrows, D., McCammon, D., and Sanders, W. The soft X-ray background. In Highlights of Astronomy. Dordrecht, D. Reidel, 1983, pp681-687. Reprint # 751.

  • McCammon, D.; Almy, R.; Afodaca, E.; Bergmann Tiest, W.; Cui, W.; Deiker, S.; Galeazzi, M.; Juda, M.; Lesser A.; Mihara, T.; Morgenthaler, J. P.; Sanders, W. T.; Zhang, J.; Figuero-Feliciano, E.; Kelley, R. L.; Moseley, S. H.; Mushotzky, R. F.; Porter, F. S.; Stahle, C. K., and Szymkowiak, A. E. A high spectral resolution observation of the soft X-ray diffuse background with thermal detectors. Astrophysical Journal v.576, 2002, pp188-203. Reprint #3509.

  • McCammon, D.; Burrows, D. N.; Sanders, W. T., and Kraushaar, W. L. The soft X-ray diffuse background. Astrophysical Journal v.269, 1983, pp107-135. Reprint #4548.

  • McCammon, Dan and Sanders, Wilton T. The soft X-ray background and its origins. Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics v.28, 1990, pp657-688. Reprint #1158.

  • McCannom, D.; Meyer, S. S.; Sanders, W. T., and Williamson, F. O. Neutral hydrogen in the direction of the small Magellanic Cloud and the limits of an extragalactic soft X-ray flux. Astrophysical Journal v.209, 1976, pp46-52. Reprint #4544.

  • Sanders, W. T. Where is the soft X-ray background coming from? The Physics of the Interstellar Medium and Intergalactic Medium. A Meeting in Honor of Professor George B. Field, EIPC, Marciana Marina, Isola d’Elba, Italy, June 20-24, 1994. San Francisco, CA, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 1995, pp498-506. Reprint #4561.

  • Snowden, S. L.; Burrows, D. N.; Sanders, W. T.; Aschenbach, B., and Pfeffermann, E. ROSAT observations of the Eridanus soft X-ray enhancement. Astrophysical Journal v.439, 1995, pp399-404. Reprint #4538.

  • Snowden, S. L.; Cox, D. P.; McCammon, D., and Sanders, W. T. A model for the distribution of material generating the soft X-ray background. Astrophysical Journal v.354, 1990, pp211-219. Reprint #4554.

  • Snowden, S. L.; Freyberg, M. J.; Kuntz, K. D., and Sanders, W. T. A catalog of soft X-ray shadows and more contemplation of the 1/4 keV background. Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series v.128, 2000, pp171-212. Reprint #2906.

  • Snowden, S. L.; Freyberg, M. J.; Plucinsky, P. P.; Schmitt, J. H. M. M.; Trumper, J.; Voges, W.; Edgar, R. J.; McCammon, D., and Sanders, W. T. First maps of the soft X-ray diffuse background from the ROSAT XRT/PSPC all-sky survey. Astrophysical Journal v.454, 1995, pp643-653. Reprint #4540.

  • Snowden, S. L.; Hasinger, G.; Jahoda, K.; Lockman, Felix J.; McCammon, D., and Sanders, W. T. Soft X-ray and H I surveys of the low Nh region in Ursa Major. Astrophysical Journal v.430, 1994, pp601-609. Reprint #4549.

Images

  • OSO-8 diagram

    NASA

  • OSO-8 spacecraft, artist’s drawing

    NASA

  • OSO-8 spacecraft construction

    NASA

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