New Mode of Possible Excitation of Characteristic Line Spectra in Diffuse Cosmic X-rays

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OBSERVATIONS of the diffuse cosmic X-ray spectrum in the 0.25 to 5 keV energy region1–5 show excess intensities over the extrapolated higher energy power law flux and spectrum. I propose that these excess intensities may be explained by characteristic X-ray emission by the atoms of elements present in the interstellar and/or intergalactic regions, where these lines may be excited by the interaction of charged cosmic ray particles with those atoms. I suggest that if these excess intensities of cosmic X-rays are due to characteristic X-rays of the elements, then their observation would serve as a powerful tool to study the abundances of the various elements in the interstellar region and in gaseous nebulae.