Related papers: Cosmic-ray composition and its relation to shock a…
Particle acceleration in the dynamically evolving environment of Supernova Remnants is discussed in the framework of a genuinely time-dependent nonlinear theory, assuming spherical symmetry. As a consequence the dependence of injection on…
Recent cosmic-ray measurements by the ATIC, CREAM and PAMELA experiments have found an apparent hardening of the energy spectrum at TeV energies. Although the origin of the hardening is not clearly understood, possible explanations include…
Two structures in the all-particle energy spectrum of cosmic rays, the knee at 4 PeV and the second knee around 400 PeV are proposed to be explained by a phenomenological model, the poly gonato model, connecting direct and indirect…
Motivated by recent measurements of the major components of the cosmic radiation around 10 TeV/nucleon and above, we discuss the phenomenology of a model in which there are two distinct kinds of cosmic ray accelerators in the galaxy.…
Since more than a century we investigate cosmic particles coming from the Universe with the aim of understanding their nature, their origin and how they are accelerated. So far, cosmic rays have provided many impressive results, giving…
Recent results on the composition of cosmic rays in the energy region from about 10^14 to 10^18 eV are reviewed.
An overview on the present observational status and phenomenological understanding of cosmic rays above 10^16 eV is given. Above these energies the cosmic ray flux is expected to be gradually dominated by an extra-galactic component. In…
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…
Some new developments obtained in the last few years concerning the propagation of high energy cosmic rays are discussed. In particular, it is shown how the inclusion of drift effects in the transport diffusion equations leads naturally to…
The most recent experimental results on the cosmic ray composition and energy spectrum above 1 TeV are reviewed and discussed. All data agree on the presence of the so-called ``knee'' at an energy E(knee) = 3-4 PeV; the knee is seen in all…
A sudden steepening of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum (the knee) is observed at an energy of about 3 PeV (1 PeV = 10$^{15}$eV). The recent results on extensive air showers allow us to conclude that: a) the knee has an astrophysical origin;…
The total cosmic-ray luminosity of the Galaxy is an important constraint on models of cosmic-ray generation. The diffuse high energy $\gamma$-ray and radio-synchrotron emissions of the Milky Way are used to derive this luminosity. The…
Recent measurements of cosmic-ray spectra of several individual nuclear species by the CREAM, TRACER, and ATIC experiments indicate a change in the spectral index of the power laws at TeV energies. Possible explanations among others include…
In this paper, we study the propagation of cosmic-ray nuclei and protons. We emphasize the influence of the source composition on the expected spectrum and composition on Earth as well as on the phenomenology of the transition from Galactic…
Cosmic ray nuclei, cosmic ray electrons with energy above a few GeV, and the diffuse gamma-ray background radiation (GBR) above a few MeV, presumed to be extragalactic, could all have their origin or residence in our galaxy and its halo.…
It is shown that the acceleration of particles by a powerful relativistic jet associated with the activity of a supermassive black hole in the Galactic center several million years ago may explain the observed cosmic ray spectrum at…
The origin of Galactic cosmic rays is still a burning question that forms a major motivation for developments in ground-based gamma-ray astronomy. SNRs are long-thought to be sites for the acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays, and evidence…
The origin of the bulk of cosmic rays (CRs) observed at Earth is the topic of a century long investigation, paved with successes and failures. From the energetic point of view, supernova remnants (SNRs) remain the most plausible sources of…
In the past few years, gamma-ray astronomy has entered a golden age. At TeV energies, only a handful of sources were known a decade ago, but the current generation of ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes has increased this…
Galactic cosmic rays are commonly believed to be accelerated at supernova remnants via diffusive shock acceleration. Despite the popularity of this idea, a conclusive proof for its validity is still missing. Gamma-ray astronomy provides us…