Effective penetration distance of ultrahigh-energy electrons and photons traversing a cosmic blackbody photon gas

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/156493· OSTI ID:6583100

Gould, R J; Rephaeli, Y

The effective average energy loss for an energetic (E> or approx. =10/sup 15/eV) particle traversing the microwave background radiatio is evaluated. Electron-photon transformations by Compton scattering and pair production (in photon-photon collisions) are computed, with the energy loss considered to be carried away by the least energetic of the outgoing particles. Considering the most energetic of the outgoing particle as the high-energy particle, the relative probability and mean time for the particle to be a photon or electron (or positron) is evaluated. The effects of synchrotron losses for electrons and positrons are emphasized and compared with Compton losses to determine a critical energy (for given magnetic field) above which synchrotron losses dominate. Magnetic deflections are also treated for the case where the magnetic field is disordered, having a characteristic ''cell'' size.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego
• OSTI ID: 6583100
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 225:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COSMIC ELECTRONS
ENERGY LOSSES
COMPTON EFFECT
COSMIC RADIATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PHOTON-PHOTON INTERACTIONS
PHOTONS
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
INTERACTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
LOSSES
MASSLESS PARTICLES
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
640101* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Cosmic Radiation