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Title: Spheromaks and how plasmas may explain the ultra high energy cosmic ray mystery

Abstract

In recent papers, we show how accretion disks around massive black holes could act as dynamos producing magnetic jets similar to the jets that create spheromaks in the laboratory. In this paper, we discuss how these magnetic astrophysical jets might naturally produce runaway ion beams accelerated to$$10^{20}$$ eV or more, finally ejected as ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) long regarded as one of the mysteries of astrophysics. The acceleration is mainly due to the drift cyclotron loss cone kinetic instability known from plasma research. Finally, experiments and simulations are suggested to verify the acceleration process.

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
OSTI Identifier:
1346838
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-26683
Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3778; applab
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Plasma Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 82; Journal Issue: 05; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3778
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; astronomy and astrophysics; accretion disk; cosmic rays; spheromak

Citation Formats

Fowler, T. Kenneth, and Li, Hui. Spheromaks and how plasmas may explain the ultra high energy cosmic ray mystery. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1017/S0022377816000866.
Fowler, T. Kenneth, & Li, Hui. Spheromaks and how plasmas may explain the ultra high energy cosmic ray mystery. United States. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022377816000866
Fowler, T. Kenneth, and Li, Hui. Mon . "Spheromaks and how plasmas may explain the ultra high energy cosmic ray mystery". United States. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022377816000866. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1346838.
@article{osti_1346838,
title = {Spheromaks and how plasmas may explain the ultra high energy cosmic ray mystery},
author = {Fowler, T. Kenneth and Li, Hui},
abstractNote = {In recent papers, we show how accretion disks around massive black holes could act as dynamos producing magnetic jets similar to the jets that create spheromaks in the laboratory. In this paper, we discuss how these magnetic astrophysical jets might naturally produce runaway ion beams accelerated to$10^{20}$ eV or more, finally ejected as ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) long regarded as one of the mysteries of astrophysics. The acceleration is mainly due to the drift cyclotron loss cone kinetic instability known from plasma research. Finally, experiments and simulations are suggested to verify the acceleration process.},
doi = {10.1017/S0022377816000866},
journal = {Journal of Plasma Physics},
number = 05,
volume = 82,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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