EGRET observations of the diffuse gamma-ray emission from the Galactic plane

The high-energy diffuse gamma-ray emission from the Galactic plane, \ b \ less than or equal to 10 degrees, is studied using observations from the Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton GammaRay Observatory. The spatial distribution of the diffuse emission has been determined for four broad energy ranges after removing the contribution from point sources detected with greater than 5 sigma significance. The longitude and latitude distributions of the intensity, averaged over 4 degrees latitude ranges and 10 degrees longitude ranges, respectively, are shown for the four energy ranges. Spectra of the diffuse emission in 11 energy bands, covering the energy range 30 MeV to 30 GeV, were determined for 10 degrees x 4 degrees (l x b) bins after correcting for the finite EGRET angular resolution. The average spectrum from the direction of the inner Galaxy is shown for 29 energy bands, covering the energy range 30 MeV to 50 GeV. At latitudes \ b \ > 2 degrees, corresponding to gamma rays emitted within about 3 kpc of the Sun, there is no significant variation in the spectra with Galactic longitude. Comparison of the spectra from the Galactic plane (\ b \ < 2 degrees) reveals no significant variation with Galactic longitude below about 4 GeV, which suggests that the cosmic-ray electron to proton ratio does not vary significantly throughout the Galaxy. Above 4 GeV, however, there is weak (about 3 sigma) evidence for variation of the Galactic plane (\ b \ < 2 degrees) spectrum with longitude. The spectrum is softer in the direction of the outer Galaxy by about E-gamma(-0.4+/-0.1) compared to the spectrum from the inner Galaxy. This variation of the diffuse gamma-ray emission hints at a variation of the cosmic-ray proton spectrum with Galactic radius, which might be expected if cosmic rays are accelerated primarily in the inner Galaxy and then propagate to the outer Galaxy or if the high-energy cosmic rays are confined less well in the outer Galaxy. The spatial and spectral distributions of the diffuse emission are compared with a model calculation of this emission based on dynamic balance and realistic interstellar matter and photon distributions. The spatial comparison is used to establish the value of the molecular mass calibrating ratio N(H-2)/W-CO and the cosmic-ray/matter coupling scale r(0), which are the only adjustable parameters of the model. Comparisons with the observations indicates N(H-2)/W-CO = (1.56 +/- 0.05) x 10(20) mol cm(-2) (K km s(-1))(-1) and r(0) = (1.76 +/- 0.2) kpc. The spatial agreement between this model is about 60% less than the observed intensity. Although the explanation of this excess is unclear, uncertainties in the neutral pion production function or variations in the cosmic-ray spectrum with Galactic radius may partially account for the underprediction. A small medium-latitude (2 degrees < \ b \ < 10 degrees) excess in the direction of the inner Galaxy exists and may indicate that the low-energy photon density used in the model is too low.