Ultra-relativistic Cosmic Ray Generation in Neutron Star Magnetospheres
Abstract
We propose a mechanism for particle acceleration that can account for the highest energy cosmic ray events observed to date, with energies above 10^20 eV. The acceleration results from electric fields that arise as a consequence of charge separation in plasmas streaming across magnetic fields. As specific source of accreting plasma, we suggest solid body impacts onto the neutron star magnetosphere, similar to what had been earlier proposed to account for galactic gamma ray bursts. We find that such solid object impacts at plausible rates would give rise to the observed flux of highest energy particles. We conclude that the proposed mechanism is at least a plausible source of most energetic cosmic rays.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- November 1997
- Bibcode:
- 1997APS..DPPgTP108L