Gamma-ray bursts and magnetars as possible sources of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays: Correlation of cosmic ray event positions with IRAS galaxies

2004 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shwetabh Singh ◽  
Chung-Pei Ma ◽  
Jonathan Arons
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Ultrahigh Energy ◽  
Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays

Influence of supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, solar flares, and cosmic rays on the terrestrial environment

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnon Dar
Keyword(s):  
Solar Activity ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Terrestrial Environment ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Threat To Life

Changes in the solar neighbourhood due to the motion of the sun in the Galaxy, solar evolution, and Galactic stellar evolution influence the terrestrial environment and expose life on the Earth to cosmic hazards. Such cosmic hazards include impact of near-Earth objects (NEOs), global climatic changes due to variations in solar activity and exposure of the Earth to very large fluxes of radiations and cosmic rays from Galactic supernova (SN) explosions and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Such cosmic hazards are of low probability, but their influence on the terrestrial environment and their catastrophic consequences, as evident from geological records, justify their detailed study, and the development of rational strategies, which may minimize their threat to life and to the survival of the human race on this planet. In this chapter I shall concentrate on threats to life from increased levels of radiation and cosmic ray (CR) flux that reach the atmosphere as a result of (1) changes in solar luminosity, (2) changes in the solar environment owing to the motion of the sun around the Galactic centre and in particular, owing to its passage through the spiral arms of the Galaxy, (3) the oscillatory displacement of the solar system perpendicular to the Galactic plane, (4) solar activity, (5) Galactic SN explosions, (6) GRBs, and (7) cosmic ray bursts (CRBs). The credibility of various cosmic threats will be tested by examining whether such events could have caused some of the major mass extinctions that took place on planet Earth and were documented relatively well in the geological records of the past 500 million years (Myr). A credible claim of a global threat to life from a change in global irradiation must first demonstrate that the anticipated change is larger than the periodical changes in irradiation caused by the motions of the Earth, to which terrestrial life has adjusted itself. Most of the energy of the sun is radiated in the visible range. The atmosphere is highly transparent to this visible light but is very opaque to almost all other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum except radio waves, whose production by the sun is rather small.

scholarly journals THE MYSTERIOUS ULTRAHIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAY CLUSTERING

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (31) ◽  
pp. 2033-2045 ◽  
Author(s):  
LUIS A. ANCHORDOQUI ◽  
HAIM GOLDBERG ◽  
STEPHEN REUCROFT ◽  
JOHN SWAIN ◽  
GUSTAVO E. ROMERO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo Simulation ◽  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Ultrahigh Energy ◽  
Arrival Direction ◽  
Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays ◽  
Chance Probability

We examine the correlation between compact radio quasars (redshifts in the range z=0.3–2.2) and the arrival direction of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays forming clusters. Our Monte Carlo simulation reveals a statistically significant correlation on the AGASA sample: the chance probability of this effect being less than 1%. The implications of this result on the origin of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays are discussed.

scholarly journals Cosmic ray acceleration to ultrahigh energy in radio galaxies

2019 ◽  
Vol 210 ◽  
pp. 04002
Author(s):  
James H. Matthews ◽  
Anthony R. Bell ◽  
Anabella T. Araudo ◽  
Katherine M. Blundell
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Radio Galaxies ◽  
Pierre Auger Observatory ◽  
Ultrahigh Energy ◽  
Cosmic Ray Acceleration ◽  
Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays ◽  
General Physical ◽  
Open Question ◽  
Centaurus A

The origin of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) is an open question. In this proceeding, we first review the general physical requirements that a source must meet for acceleration to 10-100 EeV, including the consideration that the shock is not highly relativistic. We show that shocks in the backflows of radio galaxies can meet these requirements. We discuss a model in which giant-lobed radio galaxies such as Centaurus A and Fornax A act as slowly-leaking UHECR reservoirs, with the UHECRs being accelerated during a more powerful past episode. We also show that Centaurus A, Fornax A and other radio galaxies may explain the observed anisotropies in data from the Pierre Auger Observatory, before examining some of the difficulties in associating UHECR anisotropies with astrophysical sources.

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