An upper limit on the cosmic-ray luminosity of individual sources from gamma-ray observations

Abstract

Different types of extragalactic objects are known to produce TeV gamma-rays. Some of these objects are the most probable candidates to accelerate cosmic rays up to 10^20 eV. It is very well known that gamma-rays can be produced as a result of the cosmic ray propagation through the intergalactic medium. These gamma-rays contribute to the total flux observed in the direction of the source. In this paper we propose a new method to derive an upper limit on the cosmic-ray luminosity of an individual source based on the measured upper limit on the integral flux of GeV-TeV gamma-rays. We show how it is possible to calculate an upper limit on the cosmic-ray luminosity of a particular source and we explore the parameter space in which the current GeV-TeV gamma-ray measurements can offer a useful determination. We study in detail two particular sources, Pictor A and NGC 7469, and we calculate the upper limit on the proton luminosity of each source based on the upper limit on the integral gamma-ray flux measured by the H.E.S.S. telescopes.

To appear in JCAP

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• Isotropy constraints on powerful sources of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays at $10^{19}$ eV
• Upper limits on the total cosmic-ray luminosity of individual sources
• Magnetically Induced Anisotropies in the Arrival Directions of Ultra-high-energy Cosmic Rays from Nearby Radio Galaxies
• High-energy gamma-ray emission from SNR G57.2+0.8 hosting SGR J1935+2154
• A gamma-ray study of galactic PeVatron candidates LHAASO J1825-1326 and LHAASO J1839-0545
• Galactic Centre as an efficient source of cosmic rays
• Nearby active galactic nuclei and starburst galaxies as sources of the measured UHECRs anisotropy signal
• Probing UHECR production in Centaurus A using secondary neutrinos and gamma-rays
• Central accumulation of magnetic flux in massive Seyfert galaxies as a possible engine to trigger ultrahigh energy cosmic rays
• Ultra high energy cosmic rays and possible signature of black strings
• Luminosity of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays and bounds on magnetic luminosity of radio-loud active galactic nuclei
• Massive Star Clusters as sources of high-energy gamma radiation
• UHECRs Propagation and their Multimessengers: Upper limits and the Impact of the Extragalactic Magnetic Field
• Pulsars as candidates of LHAASO sources J2226+6057, J1908+0621 and J1825-1326: The leptonic origin