CAN ULTRAHIGH-ENERGY COSMIC RAYS COME FROM GAMMA-RAY BURSTS? COSMIC RAYS BELOW THE ANKLE AND GALACTIC GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

Journal Article · Sat Sep 10 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/738/2/L21· OSTI ID:21562435

Eichler, David ^[1]; Pohl, Martin ^[2]

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1. Physics Department, Ben-Gurion University, Be'er-Sheva 84105 (Israel)
2. Institut fuer Physik und Astronomie, Universitaet Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam-Golm (Germany)

The maximum cosmic-ray energy achievable by acceleration by a relativistic blast wave is derived. It is shown that forward shocks from long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in the interstellar medium accelerate protons to large enough energies, and have a sufficient energy budget, to produce the Galactic cosmic-ray component just below the ankle at 4 x 10{sup 18} eV, as per an earlier suggestion. It is further argued that, were extragalactic long GRBs responsible for the component above the ankle as well, the occasional Galactic GRB within the solar circle would contribute more than the observational limits on the outward flux from the solar circle, unless an avoidance scenario, such as intermittency and/or beaming, allows the present-day local flux to be less than 10{sup -3} of the average. Difficulties with these avoidance scenarios are noted.

• OSTI ID: 21562435
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Letters Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 738; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ACCELERATION
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
COSMIC RADIATION
EXPLOSIONS
GALAXIES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION
RADIATIONS