Cluster Mergers and the Origin of the ARCADE-2 Excess

Radio observations at multiple frequencies have detected a significant isotropic emission component between 22~MHz and 10~GHz, commonly termed the ARCADE-2 Excess. The origin of this radio emission is unknown, as the intensity, spectrum and isotropy of the signal are difficult to model with either traditional astrophysical mechanisms or novel physics such as dark matter annihilation. We posit a new model capable of explaining the key components of the excess radio emission. Specifically, we show that the re-acceleration of non-thermal electrons via turbulence in merging galaxy clusters are capable of explaining the intensity, spectrum, and isotropy of the ARCADE-2 data. We examine the parameter spaces of cluster re-acceleration, magnetic field, and merger rate, finding that the radio excess can be reproduced assuming reasonable assumptions for each. Finally, we point out that future observations will definitively confirm or rule-out the contribution of cluster mergers to the isotropic radio background.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figure

Probing the Pulsar Origin of the Anomalous Positron Fraction with AMS-02 and Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes

Recent observations by PAMELA, Fermi-LAT, and AMS-02 have conclusively indicated a rise in the cosmic-ray positron fraction above 10 GeV, a feature which is impossible to mimic under the paradigm of secondary positron production with self-consistent Galactic cosmic-ray propagation models. A leading explanation for the rising positron fraction is an additional source of electron-positron pairs, for example one or more mature, energetic, and relatively nearby pulsars. We point out that any one of two well-known nearby pulsars, Geminga and Monogem, can satisfactorily provide enough positrons to reproduce AMS-02 observations. A smoking-gun signature of this scenario is an anisotropy in the arrival direction of the cosmic-ray electrons and positrons, which may be detectable by existing, or future, telescopes. The predicted anisotropy level is, at present, consistent with limits from Fermi-LAT and AMS-02. We argue that the large collecting area of Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (ACTs) makes them optimal tools for detecting such an anisotropy. Specifically, we show that much of the proton and gamma-ray background, which affects measurements of the cosmic-ray electron-positron spectrum with ACTs, may be controlled in the search for anisotropies. We conclude that observations using archival ACT data could already constrain or substantiate the pulsar origin of the positron anomaly, while upcoming instruments (such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array) will provide strong constraints on the source of the rising positron fraction.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, Version to Appear in the Astrophysical Journa