Nuclear physics. B, Proceedings, supplements最新文献

We study changes in the γ–ray intensity at very high energies observed from selected active galactic nuclei. Publicly available data collected by Cherenkov telescopes were examined by means of a simple method utilizing solely the number of source and background events. Our results point to some degree of time variability in signal observed from the investigated sources. Several measurements were found to be excessive or deficient in the number of source events when compared to the source intensity deduced from other observations.

I review gamma-ray burst models (GRBs) and observations, and discuss the possible production of ultra-high energy cosmic rays and neutrinos in both the standard internal shock models and the newer generation of photospheric and hadronic GRB models, in the light of current constraints imposed by IceCube, Auger and TA observations. I then discuss models that have been proposed to explain the recent astrophysical PeV neutrino observations, including star-forming and star-burst galaxies, hypernovae and galaxy accretion and merger shocks.

X-ray observations are the strong tool to study nonthermal phenomena in the universe. Detecting synchrotron X-rays is the direct evidence of accelerated electrons in the magnetic field, and thermal X-rays from the background plasma of the acceleration sites show us their physical parameters such as temperature, density, and so on. Recent X-ray observations show us the discrepancy of the standard model of Galactic cosmic ray acceleration in supernova remnants and pulsar wind nebulae, such as high acceleration efficiency, amplification of magnetic field on the shock, escape from the shock, and so on. In this paper, we will introduce how present X-ray observatories, and near-future X-ray observatories will, contribute the understanding Galactic cosmic ray acceleration beyond the standard model, together with radio, optical, and gamma-ray observations.

We examine the question of the origin of the Galactic cosmic-rays (GCRs) in the light of the data available at the highest energy end of the spectrum. We argue that the data of the Pierre Auger Observatory and of the KASCADE-Grande experiment suggest that the transition between the Galactic and the extragalactic components takes place at the energy of the ankle in the all-particle cosmic-ray spectrum, and at an energy of the order of 10¹⁷ eV for protons. Such a high energy for Galactic protons appears difficult to reconcile with the general view that GCRs are accelerated by the standard diffusive shock acceleration process at the forward shock of individual supernova remnants (SNRs). We also review various difficulties of the standard SNR-GCR connection, related to the evolution of the light element abundances and to significant isotopic anomalies. We point out that most of the power injected by the supernovæ in the Galaxy is actually released inside superbubbles, which may thus play an important role in the origin of cosmic-rays, and could solve some persistent problems of the standard SNR-GCR scenario in a rather natural way.

In these preliminary remarks we discuss our motivations for holding the San Vito di Cadore conference as well as some personal reflections on the history and current status of the origin of cosmic rays. We argue that it is time to think beyond the ‘standard model’ and contemplate the possibility of sources other than SNRs contributing to the observed cosmic ray flux even if the bulk originate in SNRs. In fact everyone tacitly assumes that at the very highest energies we do in fact see a new extra-Galactic component, but what it is and where exactly the transition occurs remain subjects of investigation. Similarly the positron excess seen by PAMELA and confirmed by AMS clearly points to an additional source of high-energy leptons in our Galactic neighbourhood. The recent observation by Agile and Fermi of the remarkable Crab gamma-ray flares point to some non-standard and very rapid form of particle acceleration which, if it occurs in other environments, may contribute to the acceleration of cosmic rays. In summary, it is clear that the origin of cosmic rays is a richer field of study than just diffusive shock acceleration in SNRs.

Core collapse supernovae (SNe) are among the most extreme events in the universe. The are known to harbor among the fastest (but non- or midly-relativistic) shock waves. Once it has crossed the stellar atmosphere, the SN blast wave expands in the wind of the massive star progenitor. In type IIb SNe, the progenitor is likely a Red SuperGiant (RSG) star which has a large mass loss rate and a slow stellar wind producing a very dense circumstellar medium. A high velocity shock and a high density medium are both key ingredients to initiate fast particle acceleration, and fast growing instabilities driven by the acceleration process itself. We have reanalyzed the efficiency of particle acceleration at the forward shock right after the SN outburst for the particular case of the well-known SN 1993J. We find that plasma instabilities driven by the energetic particles accelerated at the shock front grow over intraday timescales. This growth, and the interplay of non-linear process, permit a fast amplification of the magnetic field at the shock, that can explain the magnetic field strengths deduced from the radio monitoring of the source. The maximum particle energy is found to reach 1–10 PeV depending on the instability dominating the amplification process. We derive the time dependent particle spectra and the associated hadronic signatures of secondary particles (gamma-ray, leptons and neutrinos) arising from proton proton interactions.

We find that the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) should easily detect objects like SN 1993J in particular above 1 TeV, while current generation of Cherenkov telescopes such as H.E.S.S. could only marginaly detect such events. The gamma-ray signal is found to be heavily absorbed by pair production process during the first week after the outburst. We predict a low neutrino flux above 10 TeV, implying a detectability horizon with a KM3NeT-type telescope of 1 Mpc only. We finally discuss the essential parameters that control the particle acceleration and gamma-ray emission in other type of SNe.

Until now, providing an experimental unambiguous proof of Cosmic Ray (CR) origin has been elusive. The SuperNova Remnant (SNR) study showed an increasingly complex scenario with a continuous elaboration of theoretical models. The middle-aged supernova remnant (SNR) W44 has recently attracted attention because of its relevance regarding the origin of Galactic cosmic-rays. The gamma-ray missions AGILE and Fermi have established, for the first time for a SNR, the spectral continuum below 200 MeV which can be attributed to neutral pion emission. Our work is focused on a global re-assessment of all available data and models of particle acceleration in W44 and our analysis strengthens previous studies and observations of the W44 complex environment, providing new information for a more detailed modeling. However, having determined the hadronic nature of the gamma-ray emission on firm ground, a number of theoretical challenges remains to be addressed in the context of CR acceleration in SNRs.

One of the most exciting discoveries of recent years is a pair of gigantic gamma-ray emission regions, the so-called Fermi bubbles, above and below the Galactic center. The bubbles, discovered by the Fermi space telescope, extend up to $\sim {50}^{°}$ in Galactic latitude and are $\sim {40}^{°}$ wide in Galactic longitude. The gamma-ray emission is also found to correlate with radio, microwave and X-rays emission. The origin of the bubbles and the associated non-thermal emissions are still not clearly understood. Possible explanations for the non-thermal emission include cosmic-ray injection from the Galactic center by high speed Galactic winds/jets, acceleration by multiple shocks or plasma turbulence present inside the bubbles, and acceleration by strong shock waves associated with the expansion of the bubbles. In this paper, I will discuss the possibility that the gamma-ray emission is produced by the injection of Galactic cosmic-rays mainly protons during their diffusive propagation through the Galaxy. The protons interact with the bubble plasma producing ${\pi }^{°}$-decay gamma rays, while at the same time, radio and microwave synchrotron emissions are produced by the secondary electrons/positrons resulting from the ${\pi }^{\pm }$ decays.

We present the results of large hybrid (kinetic ions – fluid electrons) simulations of particle acceleration at non-relativistic collisionless shocks. Ion acceleration efficiency and magnetic field amplification are investigated in detail as a function of shock inclination and strength, and compared with predictions of diffusive shock acceleration theory, for shocks with Mach number up to 100. Moreover, we discuss the relative importance of resonant and Bell's instability in the shock precursor, and show that diffusion in the self-generated turbulence can be effectively parametrized as Bohm diffusion in the amplified magnetic field.