Ultrahigh-energy particles from cosmic strings
- Chicago Univ., IL (USA). Astronomy and Astrophysics Center Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL (USA)
The idea of production of ultrahigh-energy particles in the present universe due to annihilation or collapse of topological defects is discussed. Topological defects, formed in symmetry-breaking phase transitions in the early universe, can survive till today owing to their topological stability. However, under certain circumstances, topological defects may be physically destroyed. When topological defects are destroyed, the energy contained in the defects can be released in the form of massive gauge- and Higgs bosons of the underlying spontaneously broken gauge theory. Subsequent decay of these massive particles can give rise to energetic particles ranging up to an energy on the order of the mass of the original particles released from the defects. This may give us a natural'' mechanism of production of extremely energetic cosmic ray particles in the universe today, without the need for any acceleration mechanism. To illustrate this idea, I describe in detail the calculation of the expected ultrahigh-energy proton spectrum due to a specific process which involves collapse or multiple self-intersections of a class of closed cosmic string loops formed in a phase transition at a grand unification energy scale. I discuss the possibility that some of the highest-energy cosmic ray particles are of this origin. By comparing with the observational results on the ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays, we derive an upper limit to the average fraction of the total energy in all primary'' cosmic string loops that may be released in the form of particles due to collapse or multiple self-intersections of these loops. No nuclei such as {alpha}'s or Fe's are in the spectrum. 43 refs., 3 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE, Washington, DC (USA); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (USA); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03000
- OSTI ID:
- 6055449
- Report Number(s):
- FNAL/C-91/56-A; CONF-9011188-1; ON: DE91009670; CNN: 87-15412; NAGW-1340; TRN: 91-008732
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Institute for Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR) international symposium on astrophysical aspects of the most energetic cosmic rays, Kofu (Japan), 26-29 Nov 1990
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
COSMIC RADIATION
STRING MODELS
ANNIHILATION
GRAND UNIFIED THEORY
HIGGS BOSONS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SYMMETRY BREAKING
TOPOLOGY
BASIC INTERACTIONS
COMPOSITE MODELS
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EXTENDED PARTICLE MODEL
FIELD THEORIES
INTERACTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
PARTICLE MODELS
POSTULATED PARTICLES
QUARK MODEL
RADIATIONS
UNIFIED GAUGE MODELS
UNIFIED-FIELD THEORIES
640101* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Cosmic Radiation
640106 - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Cosmology