Acceleration and Interaction of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays

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dc.contributor.authorProtheroe, R.
dc.contributor.editorDuVernois, M.
dc.date.issued1999
dc.description.abstractIn this chapter I give an overview of shock acceleration, including a discussion of the maximum energies possible and the shape of the spectrum near cut-off, interactions of high energy cosmic rays with, and propagation through, the background radiation, and the resulting electron-photon cascade. Possible sources of the highest energy cosmic rays are discussed including active galaxies, gamma ray bursts and topological defects. I argue that while the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays is still uncertain, it is not necessary to invoke exotic models such as emission by topological defects to explain the existing data. It seems likely that shock acceleration at Fanaroff-Riley Class II radio galaxies can account for the existing data. However, new cosmic ray data, as well as better estimates of the extragalactic radiation fields and magnetic fields will be necessary before we will be certain of the origin of the highest energy particles occurring in nature.
dc.identifier.citationTopics in Cosmic-ray Astrophysics, 1999 / DuVernois, M. (ed./s), pp.259-297
dc.identifier.isbn156072658X
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/31105
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherNova Science Publishers
dc.publisher.placeHuntington, New York
dc.relation.ispartofseriesHorizons in world physics ; v. 230
dc.rightsSubmitted to Cornell University’s online archive www.arXiv.org in 1999 by John Protheroe Post-print sourced from www.arxiv.org.
dc.source.urihttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9812055v1
dc.titleAcceleration and Interaction of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays
dc.typeBook chapter
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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