ENERGY SPECTRUM AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ULTRAHIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAYS FROM SEMI-RELATIVISTIC HYPERNOVAE

Journal Article · Fri Feb 10 04:00:00 UTC 2012 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/746/1/40· OSTI ID:22011833

Ruoyu, Liu; Xiangyu, Wang ^[1]

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1. Department of Astronomy, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

It has been suggested that hypernova remnants, with a substantial amount of energy in semi-relativistic ejecta, can accelerate intermediate mass or heavy nuclei to ultrahigh energies and provide a sufficient amount of energy in cosmic rays to account for the observed flux. We here calculate the expected energy spectrum and chemical composition of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays from such semi-relativistic hypernovae. With a chemical composition equal to that of the hypernova ejecta and a flat or hard spectrum for cosmic rays at the sources, the spectrum and composition of the propagated cosmic rays observed at the Earth can be compatible with the measurements by the Pierre Auger Observatory.

• OSTI ID: 22011833
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 746; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COSMIC RADIATION
ENERGY SPECTRA
HEAVY NUCLEI
MASS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SUPERNOVAE