Astrophysical Origins of the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays

Abstract

Theoretical aspects of potential astrophysical sources of the highest energy cosmic rays are discussed, including their energy budget and some issues on particle escape and propagation. After briefly addressing AGN jets and GRBs, we highlight the possibility of heavy nuclei originating from cluster accretion shocks. The importance of X-ray and gamma-ray signatures in addition to neutrinos as diagnostic tools for source identification is emphasized.

arXiv commentInvited talk at the International Workshop on Energy Budget in the High Energy Universe, Kashiwa, Japan, 2006; updated version, 11 pages, 5 figures; replaced with correct Fig.1

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Prompt GeV-TeV Emission of Gamma-Ray Bursts Due to High-Energy Protons, Muons and Electron-Positron Pairs
• Origin of ultra-high energy cosmic rays in the era of Auger and Telescope Array