MBM16 IS A DENSE MOLECULAR CLOUD AT HIGH GALACTIC LATITUDE WHOSE ABSORPTION OF THE X-RAY BACKGROUND HAS BEEN USED TO MEASURE THE STRENGTH OF THE GALACTIC HALO. LIU ET AL. HAS RECENTLY CLAIMED THAT THE BACKGROUND X-RAY EMISSION TOWARDS MBM16 IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH A SIGNIFICANT GALACTIC HALO AND SUGGESTED THAT PREVIOUS HALO MEASUREMENTS USING THE NEARBY MBM12 AND MBM20 CLOUDS ARE WRONG. HOWEVER ROSAT MEASUREMENTS OF THESE CLOUDS DO SUGGEST SIGNIFICANT HALO EMISSION. USING A NEW OBSERVATION STRATEGY WE PROPOSE AN OBSERVATION OF MBM16 THAT WILL MEASURE THE HALO EMISSION SETTLE THIS APPARENT DISAGREEMENT AND AVOID THE COMPLICATION OF SOLAR WIND CHARGE-EXCHANGE.

The Johns Hopkins University

Investigators