The surfatron acceleration of cosmic rays in the galactic plasma

The optimum conditions for a prolonged holding of charged particles resonantly trapped from the galactic plasma by nonlinear waves and for the acceleration of these particles to high energies by the surfatron mechanism are established. The density of particles trapped by the plasma waves of large amplitude and by the quasitransverse magnetosonic shock waves is estimated. Various reasons leading to possible breakage of the process of surfatron acceleration of cosmic rays in the Galaxy are considered. Within the framework of the surfatron acceleration mechanism, galactic cosmic rays originate predominantly from the interstellar plasma and their energy spectrum is formed in two stages. In the first stage, some of the galactic plasma particles are accelerated from thermal energies to 10¹⁵ eV/nucleon; in the second stage, the cosmic rays may continue gaining energy up to 10¹⁹ eV/nucleon and above.     

Capabilities of the Gamma-400 Gamma-ray Telescope for Observation of Electrons and Positrons in the TeV Energy Range

The space-based GAMMA-400 gamma-ray telescope will measure the fluxes of gamma rays in the energy range from ∼20 MeV to several TeV and cosmic-ray electrons and positrons in the energy range from several GeV to several TeV to investigate the origin of gamma-ray sources, sources and propagation of the Galactic cosmic rays and signatures of dark matter. The instrument consists of an anticoincidence system, a converter-tracker (thickness one radiation length, 1 X₀), a time-of-flight system, an imaging calorimeter (2 X₀) with tracker, a top shower scintillator detector, an electromagnetic calorimeter from CsI(Tl) crystals (16 X₀) with four lateral scintillation detectors and a bottom shower scintillator detector. In this paper, the capability of the GAMMA-400 gamma-ray telescope for electron and positron measurements is analyzed. The bulk of cosmic rays are protons, whereas the contribution of the leptonic component to the total flux is ∼10⁻³ at high energy. The special methods for Monte Carlo simulations are proposed to distinguish electrons and positrons from proton background in the GAMMA-400 gamma-ray telescope. The contribution to the proton rejection from each detector system of the instrument is studied separately. The use of the combined information from all detectors allows us to reach a proton rejection of up to ∼1 × 10⁴.

     

Composition of cosmic rays accelerated in supernova remnants

The kinetic theory of regular acceleration of cosmic rays in supernova remnants is used to investigate the expected chemical composition of the rays. It is shown that the shapes of the calculated profiles of the chemical elements making up the cosmic rays are consistent with experiment wherever the results of measurements are available. The acceleration process is accompanied by relative enrichment of the cosmic rays with heavy elements. If the analogous property of the mechanism underlying the injection of superthermal particles into the acceleration regime is taken into account, such enrichment supports the formation of the required composition of cosmic rays in the energy range up to 10¹⁴–10¹⁵ eV. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 116, 737–759 (September 1999)     

Changes in the energy spectra of different groups of nuclei during propagation of cosmic rays in the galaxy

The effect of cosmic-ray propagation on the energy spectra of the cosmic rays observed at the Earth is analyzed using numerical simulation of trajectories. The grammage data on the cosmic-ray nuclei and the probabilities of their interaction are given for different models of the regular magnetic field of the Galaxy. Possible flattening of the energy spectra of heavy elements in comparison with the spectra of light elements, which is due to the effect of nuclear spallation during cosmic-ray propagation, is noted. With allowance for the results obtained, the energy spectra of cosmic rays determined from the data on extensive air showers are compared with the predictions of the conventional model of cosmic-ray acceleration by a shock wave.     

Cosmic rays in the heliosphere

Summary This is a rapporteur paper for the XXIV International Cosmic-Ray Conference covering topics of anomalous cosmic rays, shock acceleration, modulation and transport theory, cosmic-ray gradients, corotating interaction regions, coronal-mass ejections, and solar neutrinos. Among the highlights of the meeting are —conclusive proof that most anomalous cosmic rays are singly charged,—undisputed detection of anomalous cosmic-ray hydrogen,—discovery of unexpectedly large anisotropies of pickup ions,—observation of pronounced solar rotational modulation of cosmic-ray fluxes to the highest heliolatitudes (∼80°) probed by the Ulysses spacecraft, and—new measurements of modulation effects sensitive to particle charge sign. Rapporteur talk given at the XXIV International Cosmic-Ray Conference, Rome, August 28–September 8, 1995.     

Identifying the spectra of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays from extragalactic sources

The energy spectra of extragalactic sources of cosmic rays are calculated by solving an inverse problem of the transport of cosmic rays with energies of 10¹⁸–10²¹ eV in a Universe filled with background electromagnetic radiation. Calculations are performed using cosmic-ray spectra measured on Earth in Auger experiments. It is assumed that protons and iron nuclei dominate in the composition of a source.     

The enrichment of physics and astrophysics: The legacy of Victor Hess

Summary The Third Victor F. Hess Memorial Lecture traces the evolution of the cosmic-ray discipline from Hess' discovery in his balloon flights of 1911. Serendipitously, this led to the genesis of two major fields of research, high-energy elementary-particle physics and cosmic-ray astrophysics. The subsequent development of the latter field is traced from the early decades when its promise was not widely appreciated. Epochal discoveries in the 1930's and 1940's stimulated widespread interest among physicists. Identification of the positron, the ?soft component?, muons, pions, and the elaboration of the electromagnetic theory of shower production were among the major advances. The nuclear character of the main primary component was demonstrated in the forties. Symbiosis with radioastronomy, notably the understanding of the synchrotron radiation emitted from the Crab Nebula, revealed the role of supernova explosions in providing the energy for the galactic cosmic radiation. Fermi's use of magnetohydrodynamics in his acceleration mechanisms, and their subsequest realization in shock-wave theory are sketched. Detailed investigations of composition—especially measurements of the Li−Be−B and of the³He components—yielded knowledge of the propagation and transformations of the relativistic nuclei in passing through the interstellar medium. This, in turn, made possible the evaluation of path length distributions, predictions of the arriving isotopic composition, the source composition, and cosmic-ray age. Finally, some tantalizing problems that remain are mentioned, notably those of the highest-energy and the lowest-energy cosmic rays. Invited talk given at the XXIV International Cosmic-Ray Conference, Rome, August 28–September 8, 1995.     

Extremely-high-energy cosmic rays: Prospects for research with space-based detectors

The experimental study of high-energy cosmic rays at SINP is based on the legacy left by S.N. Vernov. An abrupt change (cutoff) of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum in the range of ultrahigh energies, ∼5 × 10¹⁹ eV, was predicted in the works of Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK). In these and in recent works, it was hypothesized that the shape of the spectrum beyond the GZK limit is related to the evolution of the Universe at the earliest stage of its development, which arouses special interest in studying such extremely high energies. At the same time, experimental study of cosmic-ray particles with such high energies encounters difficulties in connection with their extremely low intensity. To develop a method of particle detection on a maximum area of the order of the Earth’s disk area, in recent years it has been suggested to move from ground-based to space-based detectors. The program of space experiments to study extremely-high-energy cosmic-ray particles is discussed.     

Separation of the electron and proton cosmic-ray components by means of a calorimeter in the PAMELA satellite-borne experiment for the case of particle detection within a large aperture

The PAMELA satellite-borne experiment is designed to study cosmic rays over a broad energy range. The apparatus has been in near-Earth cosmic space from June 2006 to the present time. It is equipped with a magnetic spectrometer for determining the sign of the particle charge and rigidity. In solving some problems, however, information from the magnetic spectrometer becomes inaccessible, so that it is necessary to employ a calorimeter to separate the electron and nuclear cosmic-ray components. A procedure for separating these components for particles arriving off the magnetic-spectrometer aperture is considered.     

Meson cascade in the atmosphere,uncertainties in calculating the fluxes of high-energy muons,and data of direct measurements

A new calculation of the atmospheric fluxes of cosmic-ray hadrons and muons in the energy range 10–10⁴ GeV is performed on the basis of the method for solving nuclear-cascade equations with allowance for a nonscaling behavior of inclusive hadron-production cross sections, the growth of cross sections for inelastic hadron-nucleus collisions with increasing energy, and a non-power-law character of the primary spectrum. The fluxes of secondary cosmic rays at various levels in the atmosphere are calculated for three models of the spectrum and composition of primary cosmic rays. The effect of uncertainties in the spectrumand composition of primary cosmic rays on the flux of atmosphericmuons and their charge ratio at sea level is investigated. The calculated energy spectra of muons at sea level are compared with the results of previous experiments and the results of recent measurements performed by means of the L3 + Cosmic and CosmoALEPH spectrometers, as well as with the results of other calculations.     

Ultimate energy of cosmic rays generated in supernova shells

It is shown that the ultimate energy of cosmic rays accelerated in a supernova shell due to the surfing acceleration mechanism is determined by the shell radius and the interstellar magnetic field. The ultimate energy of cosmic rays accelerated in the supernova shock does not exceed 10¹⁷ eV for typical values of the interstellar magnetic field in the vicinity of a supernova and the radii of observed supernova shells.     

Spectrum of galactic cosmic rays accelerated in supernova remnants

The spectra of protons, nuclei, and electrons accelerated by shocks in supernova remnants of different types were determined. The calculations were made using a numerical code that allows us to model spherical shock evolution and particle acceleration with allowance for the back reaction of accelerating particles on a hydrodynamic flow. The effect of Alfvenic particle drift in the amplified magnetic field in the regions upstream and downstream of the shock was taken into consideration. The maximum energy of accelerated particles is as high as ∼5 × 10¹⁸ eV for iron nuclei in Type IIb supernova remnants. The calculated spectrum and composition of cosmic rays in the interstellar medium are in good agreement with observations.     

New method for determining energies of cosmic-ray nuclei

A new procedure for determining the energies of particles of primary cosmic radiation is described. The procedure is based on measuring the spatial density of the flux of secondary particles originating from the first event of nuclear interaction that have traversed a thin-converter layer. The use of the proposed method makes it possible to create equipment of comparatively small mass and high sensitivity. The procedure can be applied in balloon-and satellite-borne cosmic-ray experiments with cosmic nuclei for all types of nuclei over a wide energy range between 10¹¹ and 10¹⁶ eV per particle. Physical foundations of the method, results of a simulation, and the applicability range are described.     

What should be the spectrum of galactic cosmic rays?

Numerous experimental data on cosmic rays sensitive to the spectrum of primary cosmic rays were analyzed in the energy range E>1 TeV. They proved to be incompatible with the pure power-law spectrum of primary particles. The spectral index of the proton spectrum is derived from the data considered. It was found to be 0.4±0.1 greater than for the nuclei with Z≥2. Therefore, the flux of galactic cosmic rays consisting of protons and nuclei with Z≥2 cannot be described by a unified power law in the energy range 0.1–10³ TeV.     

Surfing and generation of cosmic rays in relativistic shock waves

We consider the problem of cosmic-ray generation through the surfing acceleration of charged particles in relativistic magnetosonic shock waves (the branch of fast magnetic sound) propagating in magnetized space plasmas. The dependence of the particle surfing acceleration efficiency on the angle θ _Bn between the normal to the shock front plane and the magnetic field vector in the plasma upstream of the shock is analyzed in detail. We show that for angles satisfying the condition χ = βΓ tan θ _Bn ⩾ 1, where β = U/c, Γ = (1 − β)^{2 −1/2}, U is the shock velocity, and c is the speed of light, the particles can theoretically be accelerated through surfing for an unlimited time and can gain an unlimited energy. For angles satisfying the condition χ < 1, the kinetic energy ℰ of the particles is limited by ℰ = 2mc ²χ²/(1 − χ²) (m is the particle rest mass). Our main conclusion is that the generation of cosmic rays through the surfing acceleration of particles in the front of a relativistic shock wave for Γ ≫ 1 is also efficient when the angle θ _Bn is very small, i.e., it differs significantly from a right angle. Estimates for the energies of particles accelerated through surfing in relativistic jets are provided.     

Neutrons and antiprotons in ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays

The neutron fraction in the very high-energy cosmic rays near the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff energy is analyzed by taking into account the time dilation effect of the neutron decays and also the pion photoproduction behaviors above the GZK cutoff. We predict a non-trivial neutron fraction above the GZK cutoff and a negligibly small neutron fraction below. However, there should be a large antiproton fraction in the high-energy cosmic rays below the GZK cutoff in several existing models for the observed cosmic-ray events above and near the GZK cutoff. Such a large antiproton fraction can manifest itself by the muon charge ratio μ⁺/μ^- in the collisions of the primary nucleon cosmic rays with the atmosphere, if there is no neutron contribution. We suggest to use the muon charge ratio as one of the information to detect the composition of the primary cosmic rays near or below the GZK cutoff.     

A Tale of Cosmic Rays Narrated in γ Rays by Fermi

Because cosmic rays are charged particles scrambled by magnetic fields, combining direct measurements with other observations is crucial to understanding their origin and propagation. As energetic particles traverse matter and electromagnetic fields, they leave marks in the form of neutral interaction products. Among those, γ rays trace interactions of nuclei that inelastically collide with interstellar gas, as well as of leptons that undergo Bremsstrahlung and inverse-Compton scattering. Data collected by the Fermi large area telescope (LAT) are therefore telling us the story of cosmic rays along their journey from sources through their home galaxies. Supernova remnants emerge as a notable γ-ray source population, and older remnants interacting with interstellar matter finally show strong evidence of the presence of accelerated nuclei. Yet the maximum energy attained by shock accelerators is poorly constrained by observations. Cygnus X, a massive star-forming region established by the LAT as housing cosmic-ray sources, provides a test case to study the impact of wind-driven turbulence on the early propagation. Interstellar emission resulting from the large-scale propagation of cosmic rays in the Milky Way is revealed in unprecedented detail that challenges some of the simple assumptions used for the modeling. Moreover, the cosmic-ray induced γ-ray luminosities of galaxies-scale quasi-linearly with their massive-star formation rates: the overall normalization of that relation below the calorimetric limit suggests that for most systems, a substantial fraction of energy in cosmic rays escapes into the intergalactic medium. The nuclear production models and the distribution of target gas and radiation fields, not determined precisely enough yet, are key to exploiting the full potential of γ-ray data. Nevertheless, data being collected by Fermi and complementary multiwavelength/multimessenger observations are bringing us ever closer to solving the cosmic-ray mystery.     

Energy distribution of cosmic rays in the Earth’s atmosphere and avionic area using Monte Carlo codes

Cosmic rays cause significant damage to the electronic equipments of the aircrafts. In this paper, we have investigated the accumulation of the deposited energy of cosmic rays on the Earth’s atmosphere, especially in the aircraft area. In fact, if a high-energy neutron or proton interacts with a nanodevice having only a few atoms, this neutron or proton particle can change the nature of this device and destroy it. Our simulation based on Monte Carlo using Geant4 code shows that the deposited energy of neutron particles ranging between 200 MeV and 5 GeV are strongly concentrated in the region between 10 and 15 km from the sea level which is exactly the avionic area. However, the Bragg peak energy of proton particle is slightly localized above the avionic area.     

A possible explanation of the knee of cosmic light component spectrum from 100 TeV to 3 PeV

A mixed hydrogen and helium(H + He) spectrum with a clear steepening at ~700 TeV has been detected by the ARGO-YBJ experiments. In this paper, we demonstrate that the observed H + He spectrum can be reproduced well with a model of cosmic rays escaping from the supernova remnants(SNRs) in our Galaxy. In this model, particles are accelerated in a SNR through a non-linear diffusive shock acceleration mechanism. Three components of high energy light nuclei escaped from the SNR are considered. It should be noted that the proton spectrum observed by KASCADE can be also explained by this model given a higher acceleration efficiency.