MAGNETIC RECONNECTION AS THE CAUSE OF COSMIC RAY EXCESS FROM THE HELIOSPHERIC TAIL

Journal Article · Sun Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/722/1/188· OSTI ID:21464708

Lazarian, A ^[1]; Desiati, P ^[2]

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1. Astronomy Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)
2. Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)

The observation of a broad excess of sub-TeV cosmic rays compatible with the direction of the heliospheric tail and the discovery of two significant localized excess regions of multi-TeV cosmic rays by the MILAGRO Collaboration, also from the same region of the sky, have raised questions on their origin. In particular, the coincidence of the most significant localized region with the direction of the heliospheric tail and the small angular scale of the observed anisotropy ({approx}10{sup 0}) is suggestive of a local origin and of a possible connection to the low-energy broad excess. Cosmic ray acceleration from magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail is proposed as a possible source of the energetic particles.

• OSTI ID: 21464708
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 722, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/722/1/188; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ANISOTROPY
COSMIC RADIATION
HELIOSPHERE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETOTAIL
SOLAR WIND
TEV RANGE
ATMOSPHERES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ENERGY RANGE
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MECHANICS
RADIATIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
STELLAR WINDS