Cosmic Rays from Gamma Ray Bursts in the Galaxy
Abstract
The rate of terrestrial irradiation events by galactic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is estimated using recent standard-energy results. We assume that GRBs accelerate high-energy cosmic rays, and present results of three-dimensional simulations of cosmic rays moving in the Galactic magnetic field and diffusing through pitch-angle scattering. An on-axis GRB extinction event begins with a powerful prompt gamma-ray and neutron pulse, followed by a longer-lived phase from cosmic-ray protons and neutron-decay protons that diffuse towards Earth. Our results force a reinterpretation of reported ~ 10^{18} eV cosmic-ray anisotropies and offer a rigorous test of the model where high-energy cosmic rays originate from GRBs, which will soon be tested with the Auger Observatory.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0504158,
title = {Cosmic Rays from Gamma Ray Bursts in the Galaxy},
author = {Charles D. Dermer and Jeremy M. Holmes},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0504158},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
9 pages, 4 figures, ApJ Letters, in press. Clarified limit of test-particle approximation, prediction that Auger will not confirm SUGAR source. (Data may not appear onscreen at low magnification.) Simulations at http://heseweb.nrl.navy.mil/gamma/~dermer/invest/sim/index.htm