Modeling the spectrum and composition of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays with two populations of extragalactic sources

Abstract

We fit the ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray (UHECR, $E\gtrsim 0.1$ EeV) spectrum and composition data from the Pierre Auger Observatory at energies $E\gtrsim 5\cdot 10^{18}$ eV, i.e., beyond the ankle using two populations of astrophysical sources. One population, accelerating dominantly protons (${}^1$H), extends up to the highest observed energies with maximum energy close to the GZK cutoff and injection spectral index near the Fermi acceleration model; while another population accelerates light-to-heavy nuclei (${}^4$He, ${}^{14}$N, ${}^{28}$Si, ${}^{56}$Fe) with a relatively low rigidity cutoff and hard injection spectrum. A significant improvement in the combined fit is noted as we go from a one-population to two-population model. For the latter, we constrain the maximum allowed proton fraction at the highest-energy bin within 3.5$\sigma$ statistical significance. In the single-population model, low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts turn out to match the best-fit evolution parameter. In the two-population model, the active galactic nuclei is consistent with the best-fit redshift evolution parameter of the pure proton-emitting sources, while the tidal disruption events could be responsible for emitting heavier nuclei. We also compute expected cosmogenic neutrino flux in such a hybrid source population scenario and discuss possibilities to detect these neutrinos by upcoming detectors to shed light on the sources of UHECRs.

arXiv comment15 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in EPJ C

References in corpus (75)

• EPOS LHC : test of collective hadronization with LHC data
• Multi-messenger observations of a flaring blazar coincident with high-energy neutrino IceCube-170922A
• Neutrino emission from the direction of the blazar TXS 0506+056 prior to the IceCube-170922A alert
• The Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory
• Monte Carlo treatment of hadronic interactions in enhanced Pomeron scheme: I. QGSJET-II model
• The spectrum of isotropic diffuse gamma-ray emission between 100 MeV and 820 GeV
• COSMOLOGICAL GAMMA RAY BURSTS AND THE HIGHEST ENERGY COSMIC RAYS
• Luminosity-dependent evolution of soft X-ray selected AGN: New Chandra and XMM-Newton surveys
• A relativistic jetted outburst from a massive black hole fed by a tidally disrupted star
• Discovery of the Onset of Rapid Accretion by a Dormant Massive Black Hole
• On the acceleration of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays in Gamma Ray Bursts
• Semi-analytic modeling of the EBL and consequences for extragalactic gamma-ray spectra
• The Astrophysics of Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays
• Indications of Intermediate-Scale Anisotropy of Cosmic Rays with Energy Greater Than 57 EeV in the Northern Sky Measured with the Surface Detector of the Telescope Array Experiment
• Combined fit of spectrum and composition data as measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
• The luminosity function and the rate of Swift's Gamma Ray Bursts
• CRPropa 3 - a Public Astrophysical Simulation Framework for Propagating Extraterrestrial Ultra-High Energy Particles
• Indication of anisotropy in arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays through comparison to the flux pattern of extragalactic gamma-ray sources
• Differential limit on the extremely-high-energy cosmic neutrino flux in the presence of astrophysical background from nine years of IceCube data
• The Radio-Loud Fraction of Quasars is a Strong Function of Redshift and Optical Luminosity
• Blazars as Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic-Ray Sources: Implications for TeV Gamma-Ray Observations
• Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays from Young Neutron Star Winds
• High-energy cosmic-ray nuclei from high- and low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts and implications for multi-messenger astronomy
• An improved limit to the diffuse flux of ultra-high energy neutrinos from the Pierre Auger Observatory
• A new interpretation of the gamma-ray observations of active galactic nuclei
• Extra-galactic high-energy transients: event rate densities and luminosity functions
• In Search of a Source for the 320 Eev Fly's Eye Cosmic Ray
• Giant AGN Flares and Cosmic Ray Bursts
• Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays
• Origin of the ankle in the ultra-high energy cosmic ray spectrum and of the extragalactic protons below it
• Ultra high energy cosmic rays: implications of Auger data for source spectra and chemical composition
• Depth of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray Induced Air Shower Maxima Measured by the Telescope Array Black Rock and Long Ridge FADC Fluorescence Detectors and Surface Array in Hybrid Mode
• Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of Reconnection and Particle Acceleration: Three-Dimensional Effects
• Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays from Black Hole Jets of Radio Galaxies
• High-energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos from Semi-relativistic Hypernovae
• Restricting UHECRs and cosmogenic neutrinos with Fermi-LAT
• UHECR acceleration at GRB internal shocks
• Cosmogenic photon and neutrino fluxes in the Auger era
• Correlation between Compact Radio Quasars and Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays
• A new view on Auger data and cosmogenic neutrinos in light of different nuclear disintegration and air-shower models
• Low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts as the sources of ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray nuclei
• Determining the fraction of cosmic-ray protons at ultra-high energies with cosmogenic neutrinos
• Cosmic-Ray and Neutrino Emission from Gamma-Ray Bursts with a Nuclear Cascade
• Tidally disrupted stars as a possible origin of both cosmic rays and neutrinos at the highest energies
• Interpretation of the Depths of Maximum of Extensive Air Showers Measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
• Heavy nuclei at the end of the cosmic ray spectrum?
• Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos from Tidal Disruptions by Massive Black Holes
• Indications of Negative Evolution for the Sources of the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays
• On the Origin and Survival of UHE Cosmic-Ray Nuclei in GRBs and Hypernovae
• Cosmogenic Neutrinos Challenge the Cosmic Ray Proton Dip Model
• First Results of Fast One-dimensional Hybrid Simulation of EAS Using CONEX
• The Energy Spectrum of Cosmic Rays above 10${}^{17.2}$ eV Measured by the Fluorescence Detectors of the Telescope Array Experiment in Seven Years
• Connecting blazars with ultra high energy cosmic rays and astrophysical neutrinos
• Implications of Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays for Transient Sources in the Auger Era
• Progress towards characterizing ultrahigh energy cosmic ray sources
• High-energy cosmic ray nuclei from tidal disruption events: Origin, survival, and implications
• Gamma-Ray Constraints on Maximum Cosmogenic Neutrino Fluxes and UHECR Source Evolution Models
• Acceleration of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays in the Colliding Shells of Blazars and GRBs: Constraints from the Fermi Gamma ray Space Telescope
• The fate of ultrahigh energy nuclei in the immediate environment of young fast-rotating pulsars
• Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays from Radio Galaxies
• On ultra-high energy cosmic ray acceleration at the termination shock of young pulsar winds
• A minimal model for extragalactic cosmic rays and neutrinos
• Lower limits on ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray and jet powers of TeV blazars
• Ultra-high-energy-cosmic-ray hot spots from tidal disruption events
• Ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays from tidally-ignited white dwarfs
• Evidence of Intermediate-Scale Energy Spectrum Anisotropy of Cosmic Rays E$\ge$10${}^{19.2}$ eV with the Telescope Array Surface Detector
• Implications of gamma-ray observations on proton models of UHECR
• Cosmogenic Neutrinos Through the GRAND Lens Unveil the Nature of Cosmic Accelerators
• Correlation of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays with Compact Radio Loud Quasars
• Origin of the light cosmic ray component below the ankle
• The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection
• Ultra high energy cosmic rays from non-relativistic quasar outflows
• Ultrahigh energy cosmic rays and neutrinos from light nuclei composition
• The Highest-Energy Cosmic Rays Cannot be Dominantly Protons from Steady Sources
• Ultrahigh energy cosmic rays from nearby starburst galaxies

Cited by in corpus (11)

• Revisiting ultrahigh-energy constraints on decaying super-heavy dark matter
• Curious case of the maximum rigidity distribution of cosmic-ray accelerators
• Constraints on the proton fraction of cosmic rays at the highest energies and the consequences for cosmogenic neutrinos and photons
• Probing superheavy dark matter through lunar radio observations of ultrahigh-energy neutrinos and the impacts of neutrino cascades
• The spectra and composition of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays and the measurement of the proton-air cross section
• Cosmic-Ray Constraints on the Flux of Ultra-High-Energy Neutrino Event KM3-230213A
• Cosmic Clues from Amaterasu: Blazar-Driven Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays?
• Acoustic Neutrino Detection In a Adriatic Multidisciplinary Observatory (ANDIAMO)
• Cosmogenic Origin of KM3-230213A: Delayed Gamma-Ray Emission from A Cosmic-Ray Transient
• Ultra-high energy cosmic rays with UFA-15 source model in Bumblebee gravity theory
• The Sensitivity of PUEO to Cosmogenic Neutrinos and Exotic Physics Scenarios