Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 August 2015
It is unclear whether evolutionary effects must be invoked to account for the intensity of the X-ray background, nor whether the background could all be due to unresolved X-ray sources of the types already known. Intensity fluctuations on small angular scales are probably on the threshold of detectability. Future studies of these fluctuations – with improved sensitivity – should help to elucidate the nature of the background. The interpretation of such studies is discussed.