11 research outputs found
Inductive acceleration of UHECRs in sheared relativistic jets
Relativistic outflows carrying large scale magnetic fields have large
inductive potential and may accelerate protons to ultra high energies. We
discuss a novel scheme of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR) acceleration due
to drifts in magnetized, cylindrically collimated, sheared jets of powerful
active galaxies (with jet luminosity erg s). A positively
charged particle carried by such a plasma is in an unstable equilibrium if
, so that kinetic drift along the
velocity shear would lead to fast, regular energy gain. The highest rigidity
particles are accelerated most efficiently implying the dominance of light
nuclei for energies above the ankle in our model: from a mixed population of
pre-accelerated particle the drift mechanism picks up and boosts protons
preferably.Comment: Proc. of the 30th Int. Cosmic Ray Conference, Merida, Mexico, July
200