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Limits on Source Distances for the Most Energetic Cosmic Rays

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

R. Lampard ,
R. W. Clay  and
B. R. Dawson
R. Lampard
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Mathematical Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
R. W. Clay*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Mathematical Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
B. R. Dawson
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Mathematical Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
*
rclay@physics.adelaide.edu.au
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Abstract

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The propagation of the highest energy cosmic rays through the 2·7 K microwave background is considered. Photo-pion production interactions cause energy losses for primary cosmic ray protons which result in significant energy degradation over intergalactic distances. The process of energy loss is discussed and an estimate is made of the average distances travelled for observed cosmic rays with a range of energies, assuming a power law source spectrum. At energies over 1020 eV, the average distances travelled are a few tens of megaparsecs, limiting possible sources to the volume dominated by the supergalactic plane.

Keywords

cosmic rays: generalISM: cosmic rays
Type
Research Article
Information
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , 1997 , pp. 258 - 264
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 1997

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