Related papers: UHECRs from the Radio Lobes of AGNs
Significant progress has been made over the past decades towards unveiling the sources of the most energetic particles in nature, the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). Despite these advancements, the exact astrophysical sites capable…
Simple arguments concerning power and acceleration efficiency show that ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRS) with energies >~ 10^{19} eV could originate from GRBs. Neutrons formed through photo-pion production processes in GRB blast waves…
Suppose that even the highest energy cosmic rays (CRs) observed on Earth are protons accelerated in local Milky Way Galaxy sources, with few if any from more distant sources. In this paper we treat the problem that supernovae remnants…
We study the acceleration of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) at FR-II radio galaxies by performing Monte Carlo simulations for the transport, scattering, and energy change of the CR particles injected into the time-evolving jet flows…
The sharp change in slope of the ultrahigh energy cosmic ray (UHECR) spectrum around 10^18.6 eV (the ankle), combined with evidence of a light but extragalactic component near and below the ankle and intermediate composition above, has…
Energy spectra of particles accelerated by the first-order Fermi mechanism are investigated at ultrarelativistic shock waves, outside the range of Lorentz factors considered previously. For particle transport near the shock a numerical…
We discuss theoretical issues and experimental data that brought the ultra high energy cosmic rays in the list of Nature's greatest puzzles. After many years of research we still do not know how astrophysical acceleration processes can…
We propose that ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic rays (CRs) above $10^{18}$eV are produced in relativistic jets of powerful active galactic nuclei via an original mechanism, which we dub "espresso" acceleration: "seed" galactic CRs with…
Data of Pierre Auger Observatory show a proton-dominated chemical composition of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays spectrum at (1 - 3) EeV and a steadily heavier composition with energy increasing. In order to explain this feature we assume that…
We consider the stochastic propagation of high-energy protons and nuclei in the cosmological microwave and infrared backgrounds, using revised photonuclear cross-sections and following primary and secondary nuclei in the full 2D nuclear…
We review the hypothesis that the acceleration of protons at internal shocks in Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB) could be the origin of the ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) observed at earth, E_max > 10^19 eV. We find that, even though protons…
The acceleration of ultrahigh energy nuclei in fast spinning newborn pulsars can explain the observed spectrum of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays and the trend towards heavier nuclei for energies above $10^{19}\,$eV as reported by the Auger…
It is proposed that the highest energy $\sim 10^{20}$eV cosmic ray primaries are protons, decay products of a long-lived progenitor which has propagated from typically $\sim 100$Mpc. Such a scenario can occur in e.g. SU(15) grand…
We propose a new way of quick and very efficient acceleration of protons and/or electrons in relativistic bulk flows. The new mechanism takes advantage of conversion of particles from the charged state (protons or electrons/positrons) into…
In this paper we show that the conventional diffusive shock acceleration mechanism for cosmic rays associated with relativistic astrophysical shocks in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) has severe difficulties to explain the highest energy…
We present a new calculation of the propagation of protons with energies above $10^{19}$ eV over distances of up to several hundred Mpc. The calculation is based on a Monte Carlo approach using the event generator SOPHIA for the simulation…
Stochastic acceleration of electrons interacting resonantly with a turbulent magnetic field in a small accretion torus appears to be the likely mechanism responsible for much of Sagittarius A*'s millimeter and shorter wavelength spectrum.…
We investigate ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) in active galactic nuclei (AGN) as potential sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). We focus on cosmic-ray nuclei, an aspect not explored previously. These large-scale,…
A brief summary of some highlights in the study of high energy astrophysical sources over the past decade is presented. It is argued that the great progress that has been made derives largely from the application of new technology to…
A new mechanism for the acceleration of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) is presented here. It is based on the tunnel-ionization of neutral atoms approaching electrically charged stellar black holes and on the repulsion of the…