Related papers: The Origin of Galactic Cosmic Rays
Investigations of the origin of cosmic rays are presented. Different methods are discussed: studies of cosmic gamma rays of energy from 30 MeV to about 10^15 eV (since photons point to their places of origin), studies of the mass…
The existence of cosmic rays of energies exceeding 10^20 eV is one of the mysteries of high energy astrophysics. The spectrum and the high energy to which it extends rule out almost all suggested source models. The challenges posed by…
Recent measurements revealed the presence of several features in the cosmic ray spectrum. In particular, the proton and helium spectra exhibit a spectral hardening at $\approx$ 300 GV and a spectral steeping at $\approx$ 15 TV, followed by…
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…
We consider a possibility of identification of sources of cosmic rays (CR) of the energy above 1 TeV via observation of degree-scale extended gamma-ray emission which traces the locations of recent sources in the Galaxy. Such emission in…
Laboratory experiments to explore plasma conditions and stimulated particle acceleration can illuminate aspects of the cosmic particle acceleration process. Here we discuss the cosmic-ray candidate source object variety, and what has been…
One century ago Viktor Hess carried out several balloon flights that led him to conclude that the penetrating radiation responsible for the discharge of electroscopes was of extraterrestrial origin. One century from the discovery of this…
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…
Astrospheres and wind bubbles of massive stars are believed to be sources of cosmic rays with energies $E\lesssim 1\,$TeV. These particles are not directly detectable, but their impact on surrounding matter, in particular ionisation of…
It has been speculated that the recently detected ultra-high energy cosmic rays may originate from the decays of relic particles with mass of order $10^{12}$ GeV clustered in the halo of our Galaxy. This hypothesis can be tested through…
Data obtained in the ATIC-2 (Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter), CREAM (Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass)) and PAMELA (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics) experiments suggest that elemental interstellar…
The origin of galactic cosmic rays is one of the most interesting unsolved problems in astroparticle physics. Experimentally, the problem is attacked by a multi-disciplinary effort, namely by direct measurements of cosmic rays above the…
This is the first of a series of papers analysing the Galactic Cosmic Ray composition and origin. We show that the Galactic Cosmic Ray source (GCRS) composition is best described in terms of (i) a general enhancement of the refractory…
In 1990's Very High Energy Gamma-ray Astrophysics has dramatically advanced due to the Imaging Air \v{C}erenkov Telescopes(IACTs). After the first detection of TeV gamma-ray emission from the Crab nebula in 1989, several type of TeV…
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…
The origin of cosmic rays from outside the Solar system are unknown, as they are deflected by the interstellar magnetic field. Supernova remnants are the main candidate for cosmic rays up to PeV energies but due to lack of evidence, they…
Cosmic ray story begins at the beginning of XX century. More then 100 years later, most of the main issues are still open questions, as sources, acceleration mechanism, propagation and composition. There is a continuing fascination with the…
Protons and helium nuclei are the most abundant components of the cosmic radiation. Precise measurements of their fluxes are needed to understand the acceleration and subsequent propagation of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. We report precision…
The observed spectrum of Galactic cosmic rays has several exciting features such as the rise in the positron fraction above ~10 GeV of energy and the spectral hardening of protons and helium at ~300 GeV/nucleon of energy. The ATIC-2…
Accelerated particles are ubiquitous in the Cosmos and play a fundamental role in many processes governing the evolution of the Universe at all scales, from the sub-AU ones relevant for the formation and evolution of stars and planets to…