Multi messenger astronomy and CTA: TeV cosmic rays and electrons

Abstract

Cosmic rays are a sample of solar, galactic and extragalactic matter. Their origin and properties are one of the most intriguing question in modern astrophysics. The most energetic events and active objects in the Universe: supernovae explosion, pulsars, relativistic jets, active galactic nuclei, have been proposed as sources of cosmic rays although unambiguous evidences have still to be found. Electrons, while comprising ~1% of the cosmic radiation, have unique features providing important information regarding the origin and propagation of cosmic rays in the Galaxy that is not accessible from the study of the cosmic-ray nuclear components due to their differing energy-loss processes. In this paper we will analyse, discussing the experimental uncertainties and challenges, the most recent measurements on cosmic-ray nuclei and, in particular, electrons with energies from tens of GeV into the TeV region.

24 pages, 10 figure, to appear in Astroparticle Physics as a special issue on CTA

References in corpus (13)

• Observation of an anomalous positron abundance in the cosmic radiation
• Measurement of the Cosmic Ray e+ plus e- spectrum from 20 GeV to 1 TeV with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
• Parameterization of Gamma, e^+/- and Neutrino Spectra Produced by p-p Interaction in Astronomical Environment
• Cosmic-Ray Proton and Helium Spectra from the First CREAM Flight
• The origin of the positron excess in cosmic rays
• Measurements of cosmic-ray secondary nuclei at high energies with the first flight of the CREAM balloon-borne experiment
• Pulsars versus Dark Matter Interpretation of ATIC/PAMELA
• Galactic electrons and positrons at the Earth:new estimate of the primary and secondary fluxes
• Inhomogeneity in the Supernova Remnant Distribution as the Origin of the PAMELA Anomaly
• Composition of Primary Cosmic-Ray Nuclei at High Energies
• High-energy electron observations by PPB-BETS flight in Antarctica
• VHE Gamma-ray supernova remnants
• Measurements of cosmic-ray energy spectra with the 2nd CREAM flight