Cosmic Ray Origin, Acceleration and Propagation

This paper summarizes highlights of the OG3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 sessions of the XXVIth International Cosmic Ray Conference in Salt Lake City, which were devoted to issues of origin/composition, acceleration and propagation.Comment: To appear in the Summary-Rapporteur Volume of the 26th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ed. B. L. Dingus (AIP, New York, 2000). Latex, 16 pages, no figures (Minor correction to text

Modelling Hard Gamma-Ray Emission From Supernova Remnants

The observation by the CANGAROO experiment of TeV emission from SN 1006, in conjunction with several instances of non-thermal X-ray emission from supernova remnants, has led to inferences of super-TeV electrons in these extended sources. While this is sufficient to propel the theoretical community in their modelling of particle acceleration and associated radiation, the anticipated emergence in the next decade of a number of new experiments probing the TeV and sub-TeV bands provides further substantial motivation for modellers. In particular, the quest for obtaining unambiguous gamma-ray signatures of cosmic ray ion acceleration defines a ``Holy Grail'' for observers and theorists alike. This review summarizes theoretical developments in the prediction of MeV-TeV gamma-rays from supernova remnants over the last five years, focusing on how global properties of models can impact, and be impacted by, hard gamma-ray observational programs, thereby probing the supernova remnant environment. Properties of central consideration include the maximum energy of accelerated particles, the density of the unshocked interstellar medium, the ambient magnetic field, and the relativistic electron-to-proton ratio. Criteria for determining good candidate remnants for observability in the TeV band are identified.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Proc. of Snowbird TeV Gamma-Ray Workshop ed. B. L. Dingus (AIP, New York, 2000) (Replacement updates Fig. 2 and references

Using Gamma-Ray Burst Prompt Emission to Probe Relativistic Shock Acceleration

It is widely accepted that the prompt transient signal in the 10 keV - 10 GeV band from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) arises from multiple shocks internal to the ultra-relativistic expansion. The detailed understanding of the dissipation and accompanying acceleration at these shocks is a currently topical subject. This paper explores the relationship between GRB prompt emission spectra and the electron (or ion) acceleration properties at the relativistic shocks that pertain to GRB models. The focus is on the array of possible high-energy power-law indices in accelerated populations, highlighting how spectra above 1 MeV can probe the field obliquity in GRB internal shocks, and the character of hydromagnetic turbulence in their environs. It is emphasized that diffusive shock acceleration theory generates no canonical spectrum at relativistic MHD discontinuities. This diversity is commensurate with the significant range of spectral indices discerned in prompt burst emission. Such system diagnostics are now being enhanced by the broadband spectral coverage of bursts by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope; while the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) provides key diagnostics on the lower energy portions of the particle population, the focus here is on constraints in the non-thermal, power-law regime of the particle distribution that are provided by the Large Area Telescope (LAT).Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in Advances of Space Researc

Diffusive Shock Acceleration of High Energy Cosmic Rays

The process of diffusive acceleration of charged particles in shocked plasmas is widely invoked in astrophysics to account for the ubiquitous presence of signatures of non-thermal relativistic electrons and ions in the universe. A key characteristic of this statistical energization mechanism is the absence of a momentum scale; astrophysical systems generally only impose scales at the injection (low energy) and loss (high energy) ends of the particle spectrum. The existence of structure in the cosmic ray spectrum (the "knee") at around 3000 TeV has promoted contentions that there are at least two origins for cosmic rays, a galactic one supplying those up to the knee, and even beyond, and perhaps an extragalactic one that can explain even the ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) seen at 1-300 EeV. Accounting for the UHECRs with familiar astrophysical sites of acceleration has historically proven difficult due to the need to assume high magnetic fields in order to reduce the shortest diffusive acceleration timescale, the ion gyroperiod, to meaningful values. Yet active galaxies and gamma-ray bursts remain strong and interesting candidate sources for UHECRs, turning the theoretical focus to relativistic shocks. This review summarizes properties of diffusive shock acceleration that are salient to the issue of UHECR generation. These include spectral indices, acceleration efficencies and timescales, as functions of the shock speed and mean field orientation, and also the nature of the field turbulence. The interpretation of these characteristics in the context of gamma-ray burst models for the production of UHECRs is also examined.Comment: 10 pages, 2 embedded figures, To appear in Nuclear Physics B, Proceedings Supplements, as part of the volume for the CRIS 2004, Cosmic Ray International Seminar: "GZK and Surroundings.

Photon Splitting in Magnetar Models of Soft Gamma Repeaters

The recent association of soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) with counterparts in other wavebands has sparked much interest in these sources. One of the recent models for these objects is that they originate in the environs of neutron stars with fields much stronger than the quantum critical field \teq{B_{cr}=4.413\times 10^{13}} Gauss. Near such neutron stars, dubbed magnetars, the exotic quantum process of magnetic photon splitting becomes prolific. Its principal effect is to degrade photon energies and thereby soften gamma-ray spectra from neutron stars; it has recently been suggested that splitting may be responsible for limiting the hardness of emission in SGRs, if these sources originate in neutron stars with supercritical surface fields. Seed photons in supercritical fields efficiently generate soft gamma-ray spectra, typical of repeaters. In this paper, the influence of the curved dipole field geometry of a neutron star magnetosphere on the photon splitting rate is investigated. The dependence of the attenuation length on the location and angular direction of the seed photons is explored.Comment: 5 pages including 3 encapsulated figures, as a compressed, uuencoded, Postscript file. To appear in Proc. of the 1995 La Jolla workshop ``High Velocity Neutron Stars and Gamma-Ray Bursts'' eds. Rothschild, R. et al., AIP, New Yor