Population synthesis of isolated Neutron Stars with magneto--rotational evolution

We revisit the population synthesis of isolated radio-pulsars incorporating recent advances on the evolution of the magnetic field and the angle between the magnetic and rotational axes from new simulations of the magneto-thermal evolution and magnetosphere models, respectively. An interesting novelty in our approach is that we do not assume the existence of a death line. We discuss regions in parameter space that are more consistent with the observational data. In particular, we find that any broad distribution of birth spin periods with $P_0\lesssim 0.5$ s can fit the data, and that if the alignment angle is allowed to vary consistently with the torque model, realistic magnetospheric models are favoured compared to models with classical magneto-dipolar radiation losses. Assuming that the initial magnetic field is given by a lognormal distribution, our optimal model has mean strength $\langle\log B_0{\rm [G]}\rangle \approx 13.0-13.2$ with width $\sigma (\log B_0) = 0.6-0.7$. However, there are strong correlations between parameters. This degeneracy in the parameter space can be broken by an independent estimate of the pulsar birth rate or by future studies correlating this information with the population in other observational bands (X-rays and $\gamma$-rays).Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, submitted and accepted to MNRAS, comments welcom

A common solution to the cosmic ray anisotropy and gradient problems

Multichannel Cosmic Ray (CR) spectra and the large scale CR anisotropy can hardly be made compatible in the framework of conventional isotropic and homogeneous propagation models. These models also have problems explaining the longitude distribution and the radial emissivity gradient of the $\gamma$-ray galactic interstellar emission. We argue here that accounting for a well physically motivated correlation between the CR escape time and the spatially dependent magnetic turbulence power can naturally solve both problems. Indeed, by exploiting this correlation we find propagation models that fit a wide set of CR primary and secondary spectra, and consistently reproduce the CR anisotropy in the energy range 10^2 - 10^4 \GeV and the $\gamma$-ray longitude distribution recently measured by Fermi-LAT.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. v2: Accepted in Phys. Rev. Let

Global anisotropy of arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays: capabilities of space-based detectors

Planned space-based ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray detectors (TUS, JEM-EUSO and S-EUSO) are best suited for searches of global anisotropies in the distribution of arrival directions of cosmic-ray particles because they will be able to observe the full sky with a single instrument. We calculate quantitatively the strength of anisotropies associated with two models of the origin of the highest-energy particles: the extragalactic model (sources follow the distribution of galaxies in the Universe) and the superheavy dark-matter model (sources follow the distribution of dark matter in the Galactic halo). Based on the expected exposure of the experiments, we estimate the optimal strategy for efficient search of these effects.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, iopart style. v.2: discussion of the effect of the cosmic magnetic fields added; other minor changes. Simulated UHECR skymaps available at http://livni.inr.ac.ru/UHECRskymaps