Does electromagnetic radiation accelerate galactic cosmic rays?
Abstract
The 'reactor' theories of Tsytovich and collaborators (1973) of cosmic-ray acceleration by electromagnetic radiation are examined in the context of galactic cosmic rays. It is shown that any isotropic synchrotron or Compton reactors with reasonable astrophysical parameters can yield particles with a maximum relativistic factor of only about 10,000. If they are to produce particles with higher relativistic factors, the losses due to inverse Compton scattering of the electromagnetic radiation in them outweigh the acceleration, and this violates the assumptions of the theory. This is a critical restriction in the context of galactic cosmic rays, which have a power-law spectrum extending up to a relativistic factor of 1 million.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- August 1977
- DOI:
- 10.1086/155458
- Bibcode:
- 1977ApJ...216..174E
- Keywords:
-
- Cosmic Rays;
- Electromagnetic Radiation;
- Galactic Radiation;
- Particle Acceleration;
- Relativistic Particles;
- Compton Effect;
- Electron Energy;
- Interstellar Magnetic Fields;
- Proton Energy;
- Radiation Effects;
- Radiation Spectra;
- Synchrotron Radiation;
- Astrophysics