Related papers: The Maximum Energy of Shock-Accelerated Cosmic Ray…
Recent observations of galactic cosmic rays (CR) in the 1-500 GeV energy range have revealed striking deviations from what deemed "standard." The anomalies cut across hadronic and leptonic CRs. I discuss findings that challenge physical…
Diffusive shock acceleration in supernova remnants (SNRs) is considered one of the prime mechanisms for Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) acceleration. It is still unclear, however, whether SNRs can contribute to GCR spectrum up to the ``knee''…
Ultrarelativistic particles called cosmic rays permeate the Milky Way, propagating through the Galactic turbulent magnetic fields. The mechanisms under which these particles increase their energy can be reasonably described by current…
Supernova remnants (SNRs) are believed to be the primary location of the acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays, via diffusive shock (Fermi) acceleration. Despite considerable theoretical work the precise details are still unknown, in part…
Understanding the origins of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) - which reach energies in excess of $10^{20}~{\rm eV}$ - stretches particle acceleration physics to its very limits. In this review, we discuss how such energies can be…
This is a review of neutrino astronomy anchored to the observational fact that Nature accelerates protons and photons to energies in excess of $10^{20}$ and $10^{13}$ eV, respectively. Although the discovery of cosmic rays dates back close…
Evidence is accumulating suggesting that collisionless shocks in supernova remnants (SNRs) can amplify the interstellar magnetic field to hundreds of microgauss or even milli-gauss levels, as recently claimed for SNR RX J1713.7-3946. If…
We explore the physics of shock evolution and particle acceleration in non-relativistic collisionless shocks using multidimensional hybrid simulations. We analyze a wide range of physical parameters relevant to the acceleration of cosmic…
It has long been speculated that supernova remnants represent a major source of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. Observations over the past decade have ceremoniously unveiled direct evidence of particle acceleration in SNRs to energies…
Supernova remnants (SNR) are now widely believed to be a source of cosmic rays (CRs) up to an energy of 1 PeV. The magnetic fields required to accelerate CRs to sufficiently high energies need to be much higher than can result from…
Collisionless shock waves, found in supernova remnants, interstellar, stellar, and planetary environments, and laboratories, are one of nature's most powerful particle accelerators. This study combines in situ satellite measurements with…
The process that allows cosmic rays to escape from their sources and be released into the Galaxy is still largely unknown. The comparison between cosmic-ray electron and proton spectra measured at Earth suggests that electrons are released…
When applied to the blast wave formed by the explosion of a massive star as a supernova (SN), the theory of diffusive particle acceleration at shock fronts predicts a very high energy density in cosmic rays. Almost immediately after…
We review the physics of the highest energy cosmic rays. The discovery of their sources, still unknown, will reveal the most energetic astrophysical objects in the universe and could unveil new physics beyond the standard model of particle…
It has been long believed that oblique and quasi-perpendicular configurations in supernova remnants (SNRs) were inefficient at injecting ions into diffusive shock acceleration (DSA), and that the highest energy Galactic cosmic rays (CRs)…
While SNRs have been considered the most relevant Galactic CR accelerators for decades, CCSNe could accelerate particles during the earliest stages of their evolution and hence contribute to the CR energy budget in the Galaxy. Some SNRs…
We analyze the conditions that enable acceleration of particles to ultra-high energies, ~10^{20} eV (UHECRs). We show that broad band photon data recently provided by WMAP, ISOCAM, Swift and Fermi satellites, yield constraints on the…
We investigate the theoretical and observational implications of the acceleration of protons and heavier nuclei in supernova remnants (SNRs). By adopting a semi-analytical technique, we study the non-linear interplay among particle…
Context: Cosmic rays are thought to be accelerated at supernova remnant (SNR) shocks, but conclusive evidence is lacking. Aims: New data from ground-based gamma-ray telescopes and the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space…
We evaluate the achievable maximum energy of nuclei diffusively accelerated by shock wave in the jet of Cen A, based on an updated model involving the stochastic magnetic fields that are responsible for recent synchrotron X-ray…