Cosmological Gamma-Ray Bursts and the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays

We discuss a scenario in which the highest energy cosmic rays (CR's) and cosmological γ-ray bursts (GRB's) have a common origin. This scenario is consistent with the observed CR flux above 10²⁰ eV, provided that each burst produces similar energies in γ rays and in CR's above 10²⁰ eV. Protons may be accelerated by Fermi's mechanism to energies ~10²⁰ eV in a dissipative, ultrarelativistic wind, with luminosity and Lorentz factor high enough to produce a GRB. For a homogeneous GRB distribution, this scenario predicts an isotropic, time-independent CR flux.