Clustering in Highest Energy Cosmic Rays: Physics or Statistics?

Abstract

Directional clustering can be expected in cosmic ray observations due to purely statistical fluctuations for sources distributed randomly in the sky. We develop an analytic approach to estimate the probability of random cluster configurations, and use these results to study the strong potential of the HiRes, Auger, Telescope Array and EUSO/OWL/AirWatch facilities for deciding whether any observed clustering is most likely due to non-random sources.

19 pages, LaTeX, 3 figures

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Cited by in corpus (11)

• Astrophysical Origins of Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays
• Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays: The state of the art before the Auger Observatory
• The Small Scale Anisotropies, the Spectrum and the Sources of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays
• UHECR propagation in the Galaxy: clustering versus isotropy
• Ultra-high energy cosmic rays from a finite number of point sources
• The clustering of ultra-high energy cosmic rays and their sources
• Hints of Energy Dependences in AGASA EHECR Arrival Directions
• Anisotropy at the end of the cosmic ray spectrum?
• Statistics of cluster multiplicity and the nature of UHE cosmic ray sources
• High energy gamma ray counterparts of astrophysical sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays
• Physics with Cosmic Neutrinos, PeV to ZeV