Abstract
A critical review of the possible existence of a hot (T≥ l08 K) diffuse intergalactic medium (IGM) is given. Attention is paid to three main issues: its contribution to the X-ray background (XRB) by bremsstrahlung radiation, the Compton upscattering of the microwave background radiation (MBR) and the degree of dumpiness of the IGM. It is concluded that a hot IGM could produce a substantial fraction of the XRB (if enough energy to heat it up can be found), that the Compton distortion of the MBR is compatible with (not the source of) recently detected spectral distortions and that significant clumping is unlikely.
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Barcons, X. (1990). A Hot Intergalactic Medium. In: Brinkmann, W., Fabian, A.C., Giovannelli, F. (eds) Physical Processes in Hot Cosmic Plasmas. NATO ASI Series, vol 305. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0545-0_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0545-0_16
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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