scholarly journals The composition of galactic cosmic rays

1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. S544-S547 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. V. Reames ◽  
C. E. Fichtel
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Length Distribution ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Interstellar Space ◽  
Fermi Acceleration ◽  
Fixed Amount ◽  
The Galaxy

Recent measurements of low-energy galactic cosmic rays obtained on sounding rockets and satellites exhibit a composition different from that obtained for intermediate and high-energy radiation obtained at balloon altitudes. In particular the ratio of light to medium nuclei is observed to be 0.2–0.3 in the 50–100 MeV/nucleon interval as compared with values near 0.5 in the 200–500 MeV/nucleon region. Lower values of the ratios C/O, N/O, F/O, and odd-Z/even-Z are also found. In the light of these new measurements and of new measurements on the fragmentation cross sections for cosmic-ray nuclei in interstellar space, an attempt has been made to calculate the composition expected if similar source spectra are assumed. It is found that neither passage through a fixed amount of material nor an equilibrium condition (exponential path-length distribution) is adequate to explain the observed features. The effects of including other mechanisms such as rigidity-dependent escape from the galaxy and Fermi acceleration in interstellar space are evaluated.

scholarly journals Composition and Galactic Confinement of Cosmic Rays

1971 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 740-756
Author(s):  
Maurice M. Shapiro
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Interstellar Space ◽  
Heavy Nuclei ◽  
High Energy Astrophysics ◽  
Transit Times ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Path Lengths

The ‘Galactic’ cosmic rays impinging on the Earth come from afar over tortuous paths, traveling for millions of years. These particles are the only known samples of matter that reach us from regions of space beyond the solar system. Their chemical and isotopic composition and their energy spectra provide clues to the nature of cosmic-ray sources, the properties of interstellar space, and the dynamics of the Galaxy. Various processes in high-energy astrophysics could be illuminated by a more complete understanding of the arriving cosmic rays, including the electrons and gamma rays.En route, some of theprimordialcosmic-ray nuclei have been transformed by collision with interstellar matter, and the composition is substantially modified by these collisions. A dramatic consequence of the transformations is the presence in the arriving ‘beam’ of considerable fluxes of purely secondary elements (Li, Be, B), i.e., species that are, in all probability, essentially absent at the sources. We shall here discuss mainly the composition of the arriving ‘heavy’ nuclei -those heavier than helium - and what they teach us about thesourcecomposition, the galactic confinement of the particles, their path lengths, and their transit times.

Primary γ-rays

1975 ◽  
Vol 277 (1270) ◽  
pp. 365-379 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Interstellar Space ◽  
Characteristic Energy ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Ray Density ◽  
Γ Rays

Within our Galaxy, cosmic rays can reveal their presence in interstellar space and probably in source regions by their interactions with interstellar matter which lead to γ-rays with a very characteristic energy spectrum. From the study of the intensity of the high energy γ radiation as a function of galactic longitude, it is already clear that cosmic rays are almost certainly not uniformly distributed in the Galaxy and are not concentrated in the centre of the Galaxy. The galactic cosmic rays appear to be tied to galactic structural features, presumably by the galactic magnetic fields which are in turn held by the matter in the arm segments and the clouds. On the extra-galactic scale, it is now possible to say that cosmic rays are probably not at the density seen near the Earth. The diffuse celestial γ-ray spectrum that is observed presents the interesting possibility of cosmological studies and possible evidence for a residual universal cosmic ray density, which is much lower than the present galactic cosmic-ray density.

Cosmic-ray nuclei up to 10 10 eV/u in the galaxy

1975 ◽  
Vol 277 (1270) ◽  
pp. 319-348 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Interstellar Space ◽  
Heavy Nuclei ◽  
Hydrogen Atoms ◽  
Interstellar Gas ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Ionization Cross Sections

O f the nuclear cosmic rays arriving in the vicinity of Earth from interstellar space, more than 90% have energies less than 1010 eV /u.f Some effects of their modulation (including deceleration) in the Solar System are briefly discussed. The origin of particles at energies < 107 eV/u is still obscure. They could be due to stellar explosions or to solar emissions, or perhaps to interaction of interstellar gas with the solar wind. Between 108 and 1010 eV/u, the composition appears constant to ca. 30% within the statistics of available data. Cosmic rays traverse a mean path length of 6 g/cm 2 in a medium assumed to contain nine hydrogen atoms for each helium atom. Spallation reactions occurring in this medium result in enhancement of many cosmic-ray elements that are more scarce in the general abundances by several orders of magnitude. Cosmic-ray dwell time in the Galaxy seems to be < 107 years. The source composition of cosmic rays has been derived for elements with atomic numbers 1 ≤ Z ≤ 26. A comparison with abundances in the Solar System implies that the latter is richer in hydrogen and helium by a factor of ca. 20, in N and O by ca. 5, and in C by a factor of ca.2. Possible interpretations invoke (a) nucleosynthesis of cosmic rays in certain sources, e.g. supernovae, or (b) models of selective injection that depend, e.g. on ionization potentials or ionization cross sections. Calculated isotopic abundances of arriving cosmic rays are compared with the observed values now becoming available, and found to be in general agreement. Recent progress in probing the composition and spectrum of ultra-heavy nuclei is outlined.

scholarly journals The Source Composition of Galactic Cosmic Rays as Possibly Originated from the Dust in the Circumstellar and Interstellar Space

1991 ◽  
Vol 126 ◽  
pp. 433-436
Author(s):  
Kunitomo Sakurai
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Solar Atmosphere ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Interstellar Space ◽  
Interstellar Clouds ◽  
Supernova Explosions ◽  
Siderophile Elements

AbstractThe chemical composition of galactic cosmic rays in their sources is similar to that of interstellar clouds or grains which are relatively enriched in refractory and siderophile elements as compared with the chemical composition of the solar atmosphere. Taking into account this fact, it is shown that the cosmic ray source matter can be identified as the dust or grains observed in the envelopes of red supergiant stars or the matter originally ejected from supernova explosions.

Composition and spectra of primary cosmic-ray electrons and nuclei above 10 10 eV

1975 ◽  
Vol 277 (1270) ◽  
pp. 349-363 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Energy Spectra ◽  
Average Lifetime ◽  
Interstellar Space ◽  
Interstellar Matter ◽  
Electromagnetic Interactions ◽  
Nuclear Species ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
High Energy Particles

Recent experiments have extended the knowledge of the flux and energy spectra of individual cosmic-ray components to much higher energies than had previously been accessible. Both electron and nuclear components show a behaviour at high energy which is unexpected, and which carries information regarding the sources and the propagation of particles between sources and observer. Electromagnetic interactions which are suffered by the electrons in interstellar space should steepen their spectrum, a steepening that would reveal the average lifetime a cosmic-ray particle spends in the galaxy. Measurements up to 1000 GeV show no such steepening. It was discovered that the composition of the nuclear species which is now measured up to 100 GeV/nucleon changes with energy. This change indicates traversal of less interstellar matter by the high energy particles than by those of lower energy. We discuss the experimental evidence and its implication.

scholarly journals The Origin of the Most Energetic Galactic Cosmic Rays: Supernova Explosions into Massive Star Plasma Winds

Galaxies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter L. Biermann ◽  
Philipp P. Kronberg ◽  
Michael L. Allen ◽  
Athina Meli ◽  
Eun-Suk Seo
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Field Strength ◽  
Magnetic Field Strength ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Starburst Galaxy ◽  
Supergiant Star

We propose that the high energy Cosmic Ray particles up to the upturn commonly called the ankle, from around the spectral turn-down commonly called the knee, mostly come from Blue Supergiant star explosions. At the upturn, i.e., the ankle, Cosmic Rays probably switch to another source class, most likely extragalactic sources. To show this we recently compiled a set of Radio Supernova data where we compute the magnetic field, shock speed and shock radius. This list included both Blue and Red Supergiant star explosions; both data show the same magnetic field strength for these two classes of stars despite very different wind densities and velocities. Using particle acceleration theory at shocks, those numbers can be transformed into characteristic ankle and knee energies. Without adjusting any free parameters both of these observed energies are directly indicated by the supernova data. In the next step in the argument, we use the Supernova Remnant data of the starburst galaxy M82. We apply this analysis to Blue Supergiant star explosions: The shock will race to their outer edge with a magnetic field that is observed to follow over several orders of magnitude B ( r ) × r ∼ c o n s t . , with in fact the same magnetic field strength for such stellar explosions in our Galaxy, and other galaxies including M82. The speed is observed to be ∼0.1 c out to about 10 16 cm radius in the plasma wind. The Supernova shock can run through the entire magnetic plasma wind region at full speed all the way out to the wind-shell, which is of order parsec scale in M82. We compare and identify the Cosmic Ray spectrum in other galaxies, in the starburst galaxy M82 and in our Galaxy with each other; we suggest how Blue Supergiant star explosions can provide the Cosmic Ray particles across the knee and up to the ankle energy range. The data from the ISS-CREAM (Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass Experiment at the International Space Station) mission will test this cosmic ray concept which is reasonably well grounded in two independent radio supernova data sets. The next step in developing our understanding will be to obtain future more accurate Cosmic Ray data near to the knee, and to use unstable isotopes of Cosmic Ray nuclei at high energy to probe the “piston” driving the explosion. We plan to incorporate these data with the physics of the budding black hole which is probably forming in each of these stars.

scholarly journals Cosmic-Ray Transport and Acceleration

1994 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 926-936
Author(s):  
Reinhard Schlickeiser
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Diffusion Term ◽  
Solar Particle Events ◽  
High Energy Cosmic Rays ◽  
Propagation Parameters ◽  
And Diffusion

AbstractWe review the transport and acceleration of cosmic rays concentrating on the origin of galactic cosmic rays. Quasi-linear theory for the acceleration rates and propagation parameters of charged test particles combined with the plasma wave viewpoint of modeling weak cosmic electromagnetic turbulence provides a qualitatively and quantitatively correct description of key observations. Incorporating finite frequency effects, dispersion, and damping of the plasma waves are essential in overcoming classical discrepancies with observations as the Kfit - Kql discrepancy of solar particle events. We show that the diffusion-convection transport equation in its general form contains spatial convection and diffusion terms as well as momentum convection and diffusion terms. In particular, the latter momentum diffusion term plays a decisive role in the acceleration of cosmic rays at super-Alfvénic supernova shock fronts, and in the acceleration of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays by distributed acceleration in our own galaxy.Subject headings: acceleration of particles — convection — cosmic rays — diffusion — shock waves

scholarly journals DIFFUSIVE PROPAGATION OF HIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAYS IN GALAXY: EFFECT OF HALL DRIFT

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (05) ◽  
pp. 911-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
HIDEYOSHI ARAKIDA ◽  
SHUICHI KURAMATA
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Galactic Disk ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Propagation Model ◽  
High Energy Cosmic Rays ◽  
Semi Empirical ◽  
Symmetric Diffusion

We phenomenologically developed a propagation model of high energy galactic cosmic rays. We derived the analytical solutions by adopting the semi-empirical diffusion equation, proposed by Berezinskii et al. (1990) and the diffusion tensor proposed by Ptuskin et al. (1993). This model takes into account both the symmetric diffusion and the antisymmetric diffusion due to the particle Hall drift. Our solutions are an extension of the model developed by Ptuskin et al. to a two-dimensional two-layer (galactic disk and halo) model, and they coincide completely with the solution derived by Berezinskii et al. in the absence of antisymmetric diffusion due to Hall drift. We showed that this relatively simple toy model can be used to explain the variation in the exponent of the cosmic ray energy spectrum, γ, around the knee E ≈1015 eV .

scholarly journals ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI: SOURCES FOR ULTRA HIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAYS

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 1577-1581 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. L. BIERMANN ◽  
J. K. BECKER ◽  
L. CARAMETE ◽  
L. GERGELY ◽  
I. C. MARIŞ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Radio Galaxy ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Ultra High Energy ◽  
Heavy Nuclei ◽  
High Energy Cosmic Rays ◽  
Relativistic Jet

Ultra high energy cosmic ray events presently show a spectrum, which we interpret here as galactic cosmic rays due to a starburst, in the radio galaxy Cen A which is pushed up in energy by the shock of a relativistic jet. The knee feature and the particles with energy immediately higher in galactic cosmic rays then turn into the bulk of ultra high energy cosmic rays. This entails that all ultra high energy cosmic rays are heavy nuclei. This picture is viable if the majority of the observed ultra high energy events come from the radio galaxy Cen A, and are scattered by intergalactic magnetic fields across much of the sky.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document