ACCELERATION OF ULTRA-HIGH-ENERGY COSMIC RAYS IN THE COLLIDING SHELLS OF BLAZARS AND GAMMA-RAY BURSTS: CONSTRAINTS FROM THE FERMI GAMMA-RAY SPACE TELESCOPE

Journal Article · Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/724/2/1366· OSTI ID:21474462

Dermer, Charles D; Razzaque, Soebur ^[1]

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1. Space Science Division, Code 7653, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5352 (United States)

Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope measurements of spectra, variability timescales, and maximum photon energies give lower limits to the apparent jet powers and, through {gamma}{gamma} opacity arguments, the bulk Lorentz factors of relativistic jets. The maximum cosmic-ray particle energy is limited by these two quantities in Fermi acceleration scenarios. Recent data are used to constrain the maximum energies of cosmic-ray protons and Fe nuclei accelerated in colliding shells of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and blazars. The Fermi results indicate that Fe rather than protons are more likely to be accelerated to ultra-high energies in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), whereas powerful GRBs can accelerate both protons and Fe to {approx}>10{sup 20} eV. Emissivity of nonthermal radiation from radio galaxies and blazars is estimated from the First Fermi AGN Catalog, and shown to favor BL Lac objects and FR1 radio galaxies over flat spectrum radio quasars, FR2 radio galaxies, and long-duration GRBs as the sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.

• OSTI ID: 21474462
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 724, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/724/2/1366; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
CATALOGS
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
EMISSIVITY
GALAXY NUCLEI
IRON
PROTONS
QUASARS
RADIO GALAXIES
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SPECTRA
TELESCOPES
THERMAL SHOCK
BARYONS
COSMIC RADIATION
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
FERMIONS
GALAXIES
HADRONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
METALS
NUCLEONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION
RADIATIONS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS