Related papers: Exclusion of cosmic rays from molecular clouds by …
We show that the secondary electrons ejected from the ionization of heavy ions can be injected into the acceleration process that occurs at supernova remnant shocks. This electron injection mechanism works since ions are ionized during the…
We demonstrate that ionization of $\text{H}_2$ by dark matter in dense molecular clouds can provide strong constraints on the scattering strength of dark matter with electrons. Molecular clouds have high UV-optical attenuation, shielding…
Low-energy cosmic rays, in particular protons with energies below 1 GeV, are significant drivers of the thermochemistry of molecular clouds. However, these cosmic rays are also greatly impacted by energy losses and magnetic field transport…
Molecular line observations may serve as diagnostics of the degree to which the number density of cosmic ray protons, having energies of 10s to 100s of MeVs each, is enhanced in starburst galaxies and galaxies with active nuclei. Results,…
With experimental results of AMS on the spectra of cosmic ray (CR) $e^{-}$, $e^{+}$, $e^{-}+e^{+}$ and positron fraction, as well as new measurements of CR $e^{-}+e^{+}$ flux by HESS, one can better understand the CR lepton ($e^{-}$ and…
Low energy cosmic rays are the major ionization agents of molecular clouds. However, it has been shown that, if the cosmic ray spectrum measured by Voyager 1 is representative of the whole Galaxy, the predicted ionization rate in diffuse…
We report on the effects of cosmic rays (CRs) on the abundance of CO in $\rm H_2$ clouds under conditions typical for star-forming galaxies in the Universe. We discover that this most important molecule for tracing H$_2$ gas is very…
The H$_2$ ionisation rate in the central molecular zone, located in the Galactic centre, is estimated to be $\zeta\sim2\times10^{-14}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}$, based on observations of H$_3^+$ lines. This value is two to three orders of magnitude…
Recent data from ATIC, CREAM and PAMELA revealed that the energy spectra of cosmic ray (CR) nuclei above 100 GeV/nucleon experience a remarkable hardening with increasing energy. This effect cannot be recovered by the conventional…
Recent satellite data have revealed a surprising correlation between galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity and the fraction of the Earth covered by clouds. If this correlation were to be established by a causal mechanism, it could provide a…
Cosmic rays are charged energetic particles that permeate the interstellar medium. Their sizeable energy share and penetration power makes them essential players in the dynamical and chemical processes that rule Galactic evolution, such as…
Cosmic rays are crucial for the chemistry of molecular clouds and their evolution. They provide essential ionizations, dissociations, heating and energy to the cold, dense cores. As cosmic rays pierce through the clouds they are attenuated…
Understanding how cosmic rays (CRs) propagate within the giant molecular clouds (GMCs) is critical for studying the dynamics and chemical processes inside the clouds. The flux of low-energy CRs inside the dense cores of GMCs strongly…
The diffuse gamma-ray background radiation (GBR) at high Galactic latitudes could be dominated by inverse Compton scattering (ICS) of cosmic ray (CR) electrons on the cosmic microwave background radiation (CBR) and on starlight (SL) in an…
The propagation of TeV-PeV cosmic rays (CR) in our Galaxy can be described as a diffusive process. We discuss here two effects, with important observational consequences, that cannot be predicted by the diffusion approximation in its usual…
The presence of small amounts of atomic hydrogen, detected as absorption dips in the 21 cm line spectrum, is a well-known characteristic of dark clouds. The abundance of hydrogen atoms measured in the densest regions of molecular clouds can…
Clusters of galaxies are sites of acceleration of charged particles and sources of non-thermal radiation. We report on new constraints on the population of cosmic rays in the Intra Cluster Medium (ICM) obtained via radio observations of a…
The energy spectrum of electrons produced in molecular gas by interstellar cosmic rays (CRs) is rigorously calculated as a function of gas column density $N$ traversed by the CRs. This allows us to accurately compute the local value of the…
Cosmic rays (CR), both solar and Galactic, have an ionising effect on the Earth's atmosphere and are thought to be important for prebiotic molecule production. In particular, the $\rm{H_2}$-dominated atmosphere following an ocean-vaporising…
Dissociation of molecular hydrogen by secondary electrons produced by cosmic ray or X-ray ionization plays a crucial role in the chemistry of the densest part of molecular clouds. Here we study the effect of the mean kinetic energy of…